f13.net

http://www.cityofheroes.com/features_update1.html

Sounds good so far.  Outdoor instanced missions sound especially nice.

Two new zones, "costume tweaking," and giant 'mechs to fight.  No complaints here.

I wanna see how the do the outdoors instanced before I get to thrilled about it. If it is mobs noone but your group can shoot that great. If its some wacko out there type thing I'll have to see it first.

Is it giant mechs to fight, or giant mechs to fight IN?  The link that Signe provided to the interview with Statesman on IGN seemed to imply we might be the ones in the mechs...but it's early, perhaps I misread.  That would rule, though.

I'd imagine the instanced outdoor missions will be something like you/your party is moved to an outdoor area the size of, say, the tutorial zone, and given a mission target in it.  Would be kinda nice to get the full benefits of flight, super-speed, etc, while in an instanced mission, as movement powers are kinda useless in the mostly-linear indoor areas.

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Alkiera

Outdoor instanced missions, giant robots to fight against, tailoring, Rikti crash site.

I just wet my pants.

It sounds like there's another group Bazooko's Circus is going to have to go after.

I like the idea of outdoor missions. Wish knocking bad guys off of high buildings was more damaging, however. In addition to instanced missions, I would love to see some sort of invasion into a city zone itself (like the aliens in the end of beta event)- running battles through the streets of Paragon City would be pretty damned cool.

I don't like fighting machines (clockwork missions bore me), so the giant mechs don't do much for me.

Like it.

I keep hoping that we will see a new push that provides destroyable scenery, both indoor and outside.  Damn it would be cool to have the bad guys come through the walls, or toss that coke machine through the door.

Woot.

Or, I would like to toss one of the bad guys thru the wall and see him buried under it.

Well, you guys are kinda wandering into wishful thinking with a lot more physics than I think the engine is capable of.

But I'll play along, how about being able to grapple enemies in melee range and throw them into other enemies!

The same thing I've been asking for since Day One:

I want to pull a lampost out of the ground and start smacking the civilians around.

I'd settle for an "Arrest" vs "Kill" mode with nice fallout style death effects.

I am thinking they can do it, but only in instanced areas, that way the world is not commonly being torn apart and rebuilt as your run around.

Damn it would be neat.

I seem to recall at one point on the beta boards Statesmen or one of the other big wigs said the engine is capable of doings such as picking up and throwing cars or crates at bad guys.   However, they decided against it for the time being since hoardes of superheroes running around throwing eveything bolted down or otherwise isn't too good on the scenary.

Regarding the update, it's looking good.  

But then, *gush*, City of Heroes is a good game.

All the "models" which would be the cars, trees, trashcans, people, etc. would theoretically be destroyable. They could respawn after X number of seconds.

Edit: Having destroyable junk would probably increase load on the servers though and they may not be built for that.

The level "blocks" (walls, steps, buildings, etc.) would probably not be destroyable except in instanced missions. In instanced missions they could build in areas into the wall that you could blast through (the hole would be predefined though). As the current outside zones are already complete they probably wouldn't want to go back and add that to them.

I'd love to see deformable terrain and objects that can be picked up and used as weapons, but I think you're right:  it could bring the servers to their knees.  

The update looks good.  Hopefully, they'll start a storyline soon too.  PortalCorp could be the beginning of one.

I try not to compare to that /other/ excellent super hero game. I really, really like that one..."I'm itchin' for a tussle, bitch!" Well, if Liberty Lad were Dave Chappelle doing an impression of Sam Jackson, anyway.

Beyond engine issues, remember the human nature factor. You know people would see how many dumpsters it would take to block off a zone entrance or build a giant penis.

Exactly Sky.  Judging by many of the names and costumes it would be pure hell to allow changing of terrain and moving object in the regular zones.  I can see it being fun in instanced zones for missions, but please ncsoft, never in the "real" zones.

Dumpster cock art.  I smell a federal grant in there somewhere.

That's not a grant you smell....

I'm sure I saw Statesman address this on the beta boards at one point.  He said something to the effect that while destructible terrain was theoretically possible to do with the Cryptic engine, he couldn't see them ever implementing it just due to human nature (I think his exact words were something like, "If buildings could be destroyed by players, there wouldn't be a single one standing in Atlas Park an hour after release.")

Yeah, but that response makes no reference to instanced zones.  Outdoor instanced zones that kind of work like that OTHER gamer where the more damage done to the city the less your reward.  With the City of Villian expansion the villians could maybe get no bonuse UNLESS they destroy a certain amount of the city.