DCUO- will be out November 2. Can apply for beta on main site now.

[tmp]

It's nice that the death cam defaults to an upskirt shot though 

What skirt 

[Venkman]

This looks great. Actiony, fast, doesn't look like an MMO at all. No target locking, cool. Enough collision detection to let players stick to sides of buildings, nice. Looked fluid enough at this stage. No idea on what the engine can support but we'll know that in time.

Contextual buttons: about freakin' time. The only reason most WoW interface screenshots have a few dozen buttons on them is because Blizzard hasn't felt the need to put contextual hotbutton bars in. But as we've all experienced, in any given encounter, you don't need instant access to a few dozen buttons anyway. 8 buttons at a time sounds about right.

In general the UI is not alienating to MMO players while works for console players (not the edge casers, but the average ones )

Having different stances per character is nice. No idea if that applies to all archetypes in DCUO, but it should.

Full health upon respawn is probably for testing/demoing only. This is SOE we're talking about here.

Yes, that appeared to be played on a PS3. All of the UI elements showed PS3 Controller icons (though there was that one sequence early on with a floating arrow cursor in the lower right).

I agree with Trippy on the faces. Nothing a mask can't solve 

Wow, that was really kind of cool.  Very video gamish looking and less (traditional) MMO looking, but still which makes it very cool.

FIFY   

[Ravanos]

The key to making a good Supers game is making sure the characters have distinct abilities, looks, powers, professions, and vices.  So far, from what I've seen of DCUO it's basically "you're all special and you all kick the same amount of carbon-copied ass."  I got no sense of originality from that demo that makes individual superheros what they really are... which is extremely unique and fatally flawed.  I mean cmon, "defense-mode?"  Are you serious?

I think thats the thing i like about it actually, I hated the idea in CoH/V that you had to select an archtype ... when are superheroes tanks, dps, healers and crowd control?

DCUO seems more in line with a superhero theme, being able to switch your mode and what not. I mean i guess you can say that about every MMO setting but for superheroes the idea of no classes just seems to fit. I never saw superman as a tank - high defense no offense ... or Wolverine as a DPSer, no defense all offense.

[Nevermore]

Looks interesting.  On the plus side, I like the art design much more than ChampO and the graphics look nice.  The animations and power effects, on the other hand, look like crap.  Targeting and all that green shit looks pretty bad, too.  Acrobatics, at least the wall-sticking part, looks like fun.  The mid-air 'dash' looks kind of silly.  Picking up and throwing around objects is very nice.

I always liked the Guild Wars power swapping, so I'd like to see how that works out.  Missions look more dynamic than CoX, but that's hardly a surprise considering how old the latter game is getting.  Overall though, I think it looks too console-ish for my tastes.  It looks like it could be fun as a co-op sandbox type game (a la GTA or Saints Row), but as an MMO I'm skeptical.

[UnSub]

This game looks a little more action packed and less grind?  Graphics look decent but the animations are shit.

If you can tell the amount of grind in a MMO just by watching a dev video of an alpha build, you're a better man than I.

Again, I think this will work out better on the PS3 than PC.

[eldaec]

This really looks a lot like CoX with only 4 powers.

I get that making a console mmog means taking some stuff out; but what gets added back in its place?

[Triforcer]

I honestly don't think the whole console MMO thing is going to work.  No ability to send /tells?  Besides, every PS3 board I've seen where DCUO was discussed had various 9-14 year olds saying over and over "OMG MONTLY FEE?  WTF U R LAME OMG OMG I NEVR SAW THAT B4!11!"  The "continuing pay" mentality just isn't ingrained in console gamers. 

Again, to all of you saying THIS IS COX- wtf could they have done to a superhero MMO to have it NOT involve people flying, running fast, and shooting ice from their hands?  I just don't get the anger. 

[eldaec]

It isn't anger, it is apathy.

Having exactly the same super speed animation was a particularly weird moment.


What really does it is the overall art direction, which is 100% CoX.

[Triforcer]

Well, some of us don't like COX, and are more into Wonder Woman. 

[DLRiley]

Wow, I didn't know City of Heroes was getting a DC Universe skin server.

Color me completely unimpressed. The gameplay looks like just about any other MMOG diku bullshit gameplay. I see no real upgrades from City of Heroes in terms of how the gameplay looks in combat.

I see one person woke up on the wrong side of their World of Warcraft pillow.

[eldaec]

Well, some of us don't like COX

Fair enough, but if you don't like cox, I don't know what is attracting you to DC. Other than Wonder Woman I mean.

[Nevermore]

Well, some of us don't like COX, and are more into Wonder Woman. 

I'm sure you are.  You still won't be able to tie her up in DCUO, though.

[Ghambit]

This really looks a lot like CoX with only 4 powers.

I get that making a console mmog means taking some stuff out; but what gets added back in its place?

This is kinda what I was saying.  The game seems very dumbed down and the supers pretty much seem all the same.  Granted, it's just 1 demo but it's not very compelling so far.
Someone said prior that they didnt want the standard holy trinity of mmos in their supers games.  Well, sorry to say... the holy trinity has ALWAYS been alive in well in the superhero genre long before DIKU was a glint in some nerd's eye.  Matter of fact, aside from Tolkien, the trinity itself largely comes from comic book superheros.  So yah, basically w/o tank, healer, etc... it's not a supers game IMO.

Batman cant suddenly say, "hey, I think I'm gonna be like Superman today."  Want your Batman to be like Superman?  Make another damned character.  Concurrently, if Batman (melee dps) expects a few chinese stars in the shape of bats would be enough to kill Doomsday, he's mistaken and I'd suggest he'd go get Superman (tank) and the Green Lantern (dps caster) to help.  In DCUO's case though, seems like they can just takes turns being eachother every once and a while.

[Triforcer]

Well, some of us don't like COX

Fair enough, but if you don't like cox, I don't know what is attracting you to DC. Other than Wonder Woman I mean.

Woosh!!

[eldaec]

Well, some of us don't like COX

Fair enough, but if you don't like cox, I don't know what is attracting you to DC. Other than Wonder Woman I mean.

Woosh!!

I get the amusing cock joke, but didn't think you liked CoX either?

[Triforcer]

I've never played it (I tried to download a free trial the other day, but the U.S. client link on the COX website just takes you to a screen where you can download the updater, not the client).  I simply don't care how close DCUO is to it.  Even if it is iterative, if it adds new stuff, it can be an amazing game.  Or, in other words, "I can like WoW even if I didn't like EQ."

[eldaec]

Then you may want to look at ChampO, and you can have 5 (or more) superpowers, and the nemesis thing looks cool.

[DLRiley]

This really looks a lot like CoX with only 4 powers.

I get that making a console mmog means taking some stuff out; but what gets added back in its place?

This is kinda what I was saying.  The game seems very dumbed down and the supers pretty much seem all the same.  Granted, it's just 1 demo but it's not very compelling so far.
Someone said prior that they didnt want the standard holy trinity of mmos in their supers games.  Well, sorry to say... the holy trinity has ALWAYS been alive in well in the superhero genre long before DIKU was a glint in some nerd's eye.  Matter of fact, aside from Tolkien, the trinity itself largely comes from comic book superheros.  So yah, basically w/o tank, healer, etc... it's not a supers game IMO.

Batman cant suddenly say, "hey, I think I'm gonna be like Superman today."  Want your Batman to be like Superman?  Make another damned character.  Concurrently, if Batman (melee dps) expects a few chinese stars in the shape of bats would be enough to kill Doomsday, he's mistaken and I'd suggest he'd go get Superman (tank) and the Green Lantern (dps caster) to help.  In DCUO's case though, seems like they can just takes turns being eachother every once and a while.

Can't Superman out DPS the Green Latern and Batman combined....

[Triforcer]

Er, its a question of balance- obviously the different power sets and options have to have relatively the same power level.  There is no getting around that in an MMO.  Although it is ironic that Batman is pretty much the only guy you really CAN'T replicate in this game.  "Non-powered" individuals can be created, but they can still get meta-equivalent powers through gadgets.  Batman wasn't constantly wearing a flying suit or shooting an ice rifle, but if you didn't give that stuff to nonpowered characters in DCUO nobody would create them.

[DLRiley]

Er, its a question of balance- obviously the different power sets and options have to have relatively the same power level.  There is no getting around that in an MMO.  Although it is ironic that Batman is pretty much the only guy you really CAN'T replicate in this game.  "Non-powered" individuals can be created, but they can still get meta-equivalent powers through gadgets.  Batman wasn't constantly wearing a flying suit or shooting an ice rifle, but if you didn't give that stuff to nonpowered characters in DCUO nobody would create them.

Batman has always fought with skill, intelligence, and  . No need to balance Batman, you need to be  to use him.

[Triforcer]

How many of Batman's villains have actual powers?  I can only think of Clayface and Poison Ivy, and their abilities are relatively minor.  There is a reason you didn't often see him going 1v1 with the face-melting types Superman faced. 

[UnSub]

Again, to all of you saying THIS IS COX- wtf could they have done to a superhero MMO to have it NOT involve people flying, running fast, and shooting ice from their hands?  I just don't get the anger. 

It's not anger, it's "oh hey, SOE really have copied a lot of CoH/V here, haven't they?". I mean, pick two powers and a power source is very close to pick two powers and an origin - the big change is to pick your travel power at launch. If DCUO evolves CoH/V's style and improves it, then good for them (but bad for CoH/V).

Where I think it will fall down for PC gamers are the controls - four powers at once plus active movement is less convenient on keyboard and mouse than controller.

[UnSub]

How many of Batman's villains have actual powers?  I can only think of Clayface and Poison Ivy, and their abilities are relatively minor.  There is a reason you didn't often see him going 1v1 with the face-melting types Superman faced. 

It's horses for courses. A lot of Batman's villains are enhanced humans - Bane's strength, Firebug's flame suit, Joker's poison and bombs, etc.

Plus Batman can beat anyone if he has time to plan.

[DLRiley]

How many of Batman's villains have actual powers?  I can only think of Clayface and Poison Ivy, and their abilities are relatively minor.  There is a reason you didn't often see him going 1v1 with the face-melting types Superman faced. 

Batman is a member of the alien invasion stopping, doomsday fighting, justice league. And besides how many times has Batman saved Sup's ass? Batman is  . No need to pussy him up with mmo bullshit.

[ezrast]

(I tried to download a free trial the other day, but the U.S. client link on the COX website just takes you to a screen where you can download the updater, not the client)

The CoX updater is the client. Or rather, it downloads the client - just run it and go make a cup of tea or fifty. I was under the impression that this was how most MMOs worked.

Anyway... the swappable roles could be a bad thing if it means every character can do everything equally well, but that's not necessarily the case. It could just be a mechanic to allow you to fudge party composition to be "good enough", i.e. make it so that you're not totally screwed if you have a party of five DPS (but still not be as good as having a true tank/healer/controller/whatever).

Anything that makes it easier to PUG is a good thing in my book.

[Big Gulp]

Then you may want to look at ChampO, and you can have 5 (or more) superpowers, and the nemesis thing looks cool.

Except that it's got the tainted hands of Jack Emmert all over it, while DCUO doesn't.

I swore I'd never touch another one of his games again, and I meant it.

[Triforcer]

Then you may want to look at ChampO, and you can have 5 (or more) superpowers, and the nemesis thing looks cool.

Except that it's got the tainted hands of Jack Emmert all over it, while DCUO doesn't.

I swore I'd never touch another one of his games again, and I meant it.

Will you be able to survive missing Star Trek Online?

[ezrast]

What did Jack Emmert do? Is there a story somewhere I should read?

[Nevermore]

He dared to nerf, which is unheard of in MMOs!

[Triforcer]

What did Jack Emmert do? Is there a story somewhere I should read?

He was an executive involved with MMOs.  Any executive involved with an MMO will be the subject of fanatic hatred eternally when Class X in his game has its aggro reduction coefficient reduced from .5 to .48.   Its like if you wanted to go to McDonalds with someone who liked their food, but instead the person screamed at you that the current CEO was CEO of Burger King during that one time on February 8th, 1987 when his burger had too much ketchup on it. 

[Velorath]

I'm looking for something that doesn't remind of EQ-style gameplay.

It might have helped if the characters that were being shown off in the demo were fighting with superpowers rather than swords and guns.  Even the bad guys (except for Doomsday) all seemed like boring cannon fodder who just stood there firing guns.

[Senses]

Well, the fact that it does look like CoX, and yes it does completely remind anyone who has ever played that game of exactly the same thing with a little bit brighter coloring and a new UI, doesn't really bother me.  CoX was a ton of fun as far as character design and fighting.  The real issue is whether or not DCU will correct the huge flaws that CoX had that had nothing to do with shiny capes, superspeed or fun gameplay, and that was a horrible repetitive quest grind that had you seemingly repeating the same areas over and over.  By lvl 12 you had seen the same map so many times that any redeeming qualities the game had simply weren't worth it.  If all DCU does is fix that, it will probably be amazing.

[Triforcer]

I'm looking for something that doesn't remind of EQ-style gameplay.

It might have helped if the characters that were being shown off in the demo were fighting with superpowers rather than swords and guns.  Even the bad guys (except for Doomsday) all seemed like boring cannon fodder who just stood there firing guns.

I liked how the standard uniform for Lexcorp security forces is a blue jogging suit.  

[ezrast]

Maybe I just have a hazy memory of CoV (never played a hero so I can't speak for that side), and that haze has a delightful strawberry aroma that makes the game seem more fun than it really was, but the movie really never made me think "That looks just like CoV." CoV combat was mainly standing in one place trying to decide which of your 20 available powers to use next; DCUO seems to have more mobility and world interaction (throwing cars) with the tradeoff of more button mashy combat.

Anyway, CoX did a lot of things that really need to become standard in MMORPGs, so even if ChampO and DCU just end up being CoX 2 and Cox 1.5 I'll be relatively happy. Better than trying to out-WoW WoW.

[Velorath]

CoV combat was mainly standing in one place trying to decide which of your 20 available powers to use next; DCUO seems to have more mobility and world interaction (throwing cars) with the tradeoff of more button mashy combat.

Combat here seems to be just standing in one place and whacking on an enemy until he's down as well.  Whenever he starts running around and attacking enemies at random he seems to get his ass kicked.  Mobility doesn't actually seem to do the characters much good as you can see them steadily take damage no matter how much they run around.