DC Universe

*As posted at Myspace.com/dcuo

Alright, we are at a very important point in DCUO developement. We still have time to voice our opinions. What do you think are the most important aspects to a great Superhero game?
DCUO must be cognizant of the fact that they will be in direct competition with the likes of Cryptic Studios "Champions On-line". DCUO has a built in fan base (DC Comics fans), but it MUST NOT rest on its laurels, or this game is doomed to fail.
What do YOU think this game must focus on or ’Get right’? What’s most important to YOU? Here’s mine:

1)Character customization: The aforementioned "Champions Online" prides itself on customization and for good reason. I, for one, don’t want to be one in a hundred, I want to be one in one hundred thousand. I want to be unique from every other hero out there. Nothing will be more frustrating than flying through the streets of Metropolis and seeing my doppeganger flying in the opposite direction. DCUO will, inevitably have it’s clones, I just don’t want to be one of them. Also, a picture is worth a thousand words. To look at my character should instantly tell you a story. How he stands, how he looks, how he moves, how big tall and hairy he is.

2)Secret Identity: The title of this point may be a little misleading. I don’t necessarily need to have a SI (although it would be nice). What I do want, though is more than a fighting game. This is an massive multiplayer online ROLE PLAYING GAME not a massive multiplayer online FIGHTING GAME. I want to be able to craft, entertain, establish relationships (both PC and NPC). I want to work at the Daily Planet alongside Lois Lane or for WayneTech with Lucious Fox. More importantly, I want these jobs to mean something. If I work for Mr. Wayne, I want to make the best gear for non-powered heroes, then make sure I get it to them (for a price). I want to save a NPC and have the random chance that that NPC starts a relationship with me, professional or personal. Those relationships should yield something, be it gear from a business contact or Innate bonuses for finding YOUR Lois Lane

3)Reward/Consequence: I want to know if I take a risk, I get rewarded for it. Sure, it will be nice to get a power-up but let’s think outside the box. If I take down the Joker, I should be noticed by the JLA. If I take down Sinestro and I have "power ring" based powers, maybe a lantern should find its way to me. On the flip side, getting an invite to the worlds most elite organizations should put a target on your back, not just NPC but PC as well. If I change from Superhero to Secret Identity without ducking out of sight, that should put my contacts in jeopardy. If I lose my contacts, I lose my bonuses (making contacts all the more important to protect...mission tip!). Make it ROLE PLAYING. Let me believe my choices as a hero impact others, which is really the central conflict in most Comic Books.

4)THIS IS AN MMORPG NOT AN MMOFG!!!

Ok, it’s late. I may come back with some more ideas later. Until then, everyone please chime in. Lets make this the best game it can be!!!

*Posted in Myspace.com/dcuo

Red wrote:
BUT with your number 2? ehhh, needs more work im still not really convinced that "secret identities" and "NPC, relationships" would blow my mind...i do believe that it just might, JUST MIGHT, be a pretty damn niffty idea. However it does need more work. (If it does make it into the game), if it doesn’t i really could care less about it. UNLESS there are improvements to your "imaginations" about the secret identities.

I think the most important point I was trying to make was that I don’t want this game to be "Superman Returns" online. IOW, I don’t want to JUST fly around, fight criminals, put out fires, fight boss, etc., etc. I want this to be fully immersive. I want to have the experience of being a hero in the DC universe. To do that, one must establish relationships. We all know that we will, at one point in this game, "team up" with other Player Characters. These PC’s will, no doubt, be heroes/villians. While that is a vital part of Superhero mythos (Superman/Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow), it is certainly not the MOST important relationship. Superman has Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Bibbo, Professor Hamilton, etc. These are the characters we see every month. They are the reason that these heroes continue to do what they do. My thought is if you make these relationships ’bonus items’ (in a sense) it will depict those said relationships as valuable, and that is probably the closest way to have a meaningful relationship with a computer program as possible. For example, let’s say you save a scientist that periodically gives you upgrades. That contact becomes very important to you. Now let’s say that you receive a message that said scientist is abducted. Because of the fact that the scientist is such a bonus, you would be inclined to stop whatever it is you are doing to save that character. What if, however, you are teamed up with 3 other heroes when you receive that message and you are fighting Weather Wizard. Do you leave them to fend for themselves so you can save your scientist? Now, because of that simple addition, you are faced with a TRUE superhero dilemma. (Other characters could include Love interest, which would give you ever increasing bonuses to stats like health rather than items or even a sidekick, which would almost act like a controllable NPC.)

Secret Identities would further this goal. It’s just another layer of the proverbial onion. It is not a necessity, but it would be DAMN fun. It would also be a way for you to do something other than fightfightfight. You could become a scientist, businessman, reporter, tailor, actor, anything. All those secondary jobs would benefit other players. If you are a journalist, you have the inside scoop on the streets. Lets say there is a mission in which you have to find the location of a certain villian. Instead of spending hours speeding along the street, you visit a mid lvl reporter that "checks with his contacts" and gets you the information in minutes. Having that SI character would also take the randomness out of relationship attacks. If you visit your ’girlfriend/wife’ as your Superhero, you put that character at risk (see Superboy). If you constantly change from SH to SI on the middle of the street without ducking into an ally, you build VISIBILITY. People begin to figure out that Jake is actually Jakeeyes. That, again, puts your character relationship in danger.

All this leads to the consequence point. If you cap your hero and are invited into JSA, your hero is given the highest PRESTIGE number. You become a target for villians, both NPC or PC (if your a villian and you want to PvP a hero, go to a reporter to find a hero with a high PRESTIGE...see how this all ties together?). If you get careless with your SI or, again, visit your contacts as your SH, that builds VISIBILITY. PRESTIGE + VISIBILITY = Character relationship attack. There should, of course be SOME random attacks involving your hero’s realtionship characters. Building catches on fire, caught in a bank during a stick up, etc. but these should be extremely rare.

I hope I’ve explained a little more clearly what I’m going for. I want this to be a Superhero experience, DC style. I don’t want ’Superman Returns’ On-line!

Originally posted by jakeeyes

*Posted in Myspace.com/dcuo

Red wrote:
BUT with your number 2? ehhh, needs more work im still not really convinced that "secret identities" and "NPC, relationships" would blow my mind...i do believe that it just might, JUST MIGHT, be a pretty damn niffty idea. However it does need more work. (If it does make it into the game), if it doesn’t i really could care less about it. UNLESS there are improvements to your "imaginations" about the secret identities.

I think the most important point I was trying to make was that I don’t want this game to be "Superman Returns" online. IOW, I don’t want to JUST fly around, fight criminals, put out fires, fight boss, etc., etc. I want this to be fully immersive. I want to have the experience of being a hero in the DC universe. To do that, one must establish relationships. We all know that we will, at one point in this game, "team up" with other Player Characters. These PC’s will, no doubt, be heroes/villians. While that is a vital part of Superhero mythos (Superman/Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow), it is certainly not the MOST important relationship. Superman has Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Bibbo, Professor Hamilton, etc. These are the characters we see every month. They are the reason that these heroes continue to do what they do. My thought is if you make these relationships ’bonus items’ (in a sense) it will depict those said relationships as valuable, and that is probably the closest way to have a meaningful relationship with a computer program as possible. For example, let’s say you save a scientist that periodically gives you upgrades. That contact becomes very important to you. Now let’s say that you receive a message that said scientist is abducted. Because of the fact that the scientist is such a bonus, you would be inclined to stop whatever it is you are doing to save that character. What if, however, you are teamed up with 3 other heroes when you receive that message and you are fighting Weather Wizard. Do you leave them to fend for themselves so you can save your scientist? Now, because of that simple addition, you are faced with a TRUE superhero dilemma. (Other characters could include Love interest, which would give you ever increasing bonuses to stats like health rather than items or even a sidekick, which would almost act like a controllable NPC.)

Secret Identities would further this goal. It’s just another layer of the proverbial onion. It is not a necessity, but it would be DAMN fun. It would also be a way for you to do something other than fightfightfight. You could become a scientist, businessman, reporter, tailor, actor, anything. All those secondary jobs would benefit other players. If you are a journalist, you have the inside scoop on the streets. Lets say there is a mission in which you have to find the location of a certain villian. Instead of spending hours speeding along the street, you visit a mid lvl reporter that "checks with his contacts" and gets you the information in minutes. Having that SI character would also take the randomness out of relationship attacks. If you visit your ’girlfriend/wife’ as your Superhero, you put that character at risk (see Superboy). If you constantly change from SH to SI on the middle of the street without ducking into an ally, you build VISIBILITY. People begin to figure out that Jake is actually Jakeeyes. That, again, puts your character relationship in danger.

All this leads to the consequence point. If you cap your hero and are invited into JSA, your hero is given the highest PRESTIGE number. You become a target for villians, both NPC or PC (if your a villian and you want to PvP a hero, go to a reporter to find a hero with a high PRESTIGE...see how this all ties together?). If you get careless with your SI or, again, visit your contacts as your SH, that builds VISIBILITY. PRESTIGE + VISIBILITY = Character relationship attack. There should, of course be SOME random attacks involving your hero’s realtionship characters. Building catches on fire, caught in a bank during a stick up, etc. but these should be extremely rare.

I hope I’ve explained a little more clearly what I’m going for. I want this to be a Superhero experience, DC style. I don’t want ’Superman Returns’ On-line!

 

thats actually an awesome idea to me it's something else CoH is missing the other side of being a hero which is a huge part of comics and coh may get away with it since they don't have established lore but I think DCUO would do well to payy attention to this fact

Unfortunately, the DCUO crew deleted the thread that this was originally posted in!! Get over to www.myspace.com/dcuo to voice your opinion.  I DO NOT want another SWG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally posted by jakeeyes

Unfortunately, the DCUO crew deleted the thread that this was originally posted in!! Get over to www.myspace.com/dcuo to voice your opinion.  I DO NOT want another SWG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  I am sorry , to prevent another SWG you must remove that major mixing agent. I am afraid that the agent is already in place. Stand back - its going to blow ( in more ways then one).

Originally posted by JestorRodo

  I am sorry , to prevent another SWG you must remove that major mixing agent. I am afraid that the agent is already in place. Stand back - its going to blow ( in more ways then one). 

Hahaha yeah, I know.  But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't at least give this a try.  I hope this is going to be a DC Universe mmo that fully engrosses me.  I understand that there will be limitations.  It is JUST a game.  I just want it to be a game worth playing...

...meh, what's the point...

Originally posted by jakeeyes

*Posted in Myspace.com/dcuo

Red wrote:
BUT with your number 2? ehhh, needs more work im still not really convinced that "secret identities" and "NPC, relationships" would blow my mind...i do believe that it just might, JUST MIGHT, be a pretty damn niffty idea. However it does need more work. (If it does make it into the game), if it doesn’t i really could care less about it. UNLESS there are improvements to your "imaginations" about the secret identities.

I think the most important point I was trying to make was that I don’t want this game to be "Superman Returns" online. IOW, I don’t want to JUST fly around, fight criminals, put out fires, fight boss, etc., etc. I want this to be fully immersive. I want to have the experience of being a hero in the DC universe. To do that, one must establish relationships. We all know that we will, at one point in this game, "team up" with other Player Characters. These PC’s will, no doubt, be heroes/villians. While that is a vital part of Superhero mythos (Superman/Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow), it is certainly not the MOST important relationship. Superman has Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, Bibbo, Professor Hamilton, etc. These are the characters we see every month. They are the reason that these heroes continue to do what they do. My thought is if you make these relationships ’bonus items’ (in a sense) it will depict those said relationships as valuable, and that is probably the closest way to have a meaningful relationship with a computer program as possible. For example, let’s say you save a scientist that periodically gives you upgrades. That contact becomes very important to you. Now let’s say that you receive a message that said scientist is abducted. Because of the fact that the scientist is such a bonus, you would be inclined to stop whatever it is you are doing to save that character. What if, however, you are teamed up with 3 other heroes when you receive that message and you are fighting Weather Wizard. Do you leave them to fend for themselves so you can save your scientist? Now, because of that simple addition, you are faced with a TRUE superhero dilemma. (Other characters could include Love interest, which would give you ever increasing bonuses to stats like health rather than items or even a sidekick, which would almost act like a controllable NPC.)

Secret Identities would further this goal. It’s just another layer of the proverbial onion. It is not a necessity, but it would be DAMN fun. It would also be a way for you to do something other than fightfightfight. You could become a scientist, businessman, reporter, tailor, actor, anything. All those secondary jobs would benefit other players. If you are a journalist, you have the inside scoop on the streets. Lets say there is a mission in which you have to find the location of a certain villian. Instead of spending hours speeding along the street, you visit a mid lvl reporter that "checks with his contacts" and gets you the information in minutes. Having that SI character would also take th