Issue #5 Update

[Signe]

FEATURES:

New Zone – Croatoa. Designed to challenge characters level 25 to 35 in a mysterious region infamous for its links to powerful magical forces and deadly creatures.

New Villains – The Cabal of witches, the nasty imps called Red Caps, the giant Fir Bolg and the legendary Tuatha de Dannan rule this realm.

New Task Force – Perform missions for contacts in Croatoa to unlock the exclusive task force.

New Power Sets:

    * Archery for Defenders and Blasters
    * Trick Arrows for Defenders and Controllers
    * Sonic Blast for Blasters and Defenders
    * Sonic Debuff for Defenders and Controllers

New Badges for epic character accomplishments and special badges for events within Croatoa.

New Zone Events:

Hellion Arson – The Hellions are torching buildings and it’s up to the heroes to snuff them out!

Troll Rave – There’s an upgraded Superadine source and the trolls are overdosing to create “Super-Trolls” that are out of control!

New Debt System – Half XP Debt when characters are defeated in missions and no XP Debt until Level 10!

Mission Customization – Many existing missions have been updated with hostage escort missions, villain wave attacks and more!

http://www.coh.com/features_update.html

Yay!   I'll have to level up a new char to 25 or so for August for the new area.

 Archery!  It makes me happy.

[jpark]

Sounds neat.  I am not too crazy about the power sets but the zone events sound cool.  It sounds like these guys are heading in a good direction in enhancing missions.

Also nice to see that the new zone they added is mid-level.  Rather than simply a high end zone like so many games do.

I may not be monogamous in my romantic life but I am in my gaming life.  Still playing WoW :)

But I look forward to returning to CoH eventually.

[kaid]

COH is an odd duck it does not so much have an end game as it does an ALT game. There is no point going nuts adding "end game" content in a game that encourages so strongly the dabbling in TONS of alts. Hell one of the "end game" perks is you unlock a new character class to start again at level 1.

Due to this they have been adding more content and refreshing existing stuff from levels 1 to 50 rather than just concentrating on end game stuff.

kaid

[tazelbain]

I like the game but I see no reason to play.  I like everything about it. I log in do a few missions then boredom sets in.  Now, post 30, that my main has all his skills there is no reason to level, its just going to be more of the same missions.

Anyway that first month was hot shit, best MMORPG experience ever.

Adding mission variety is good start, but I still don't care about them. I don't even read the blurbs in missions anymore.  "New drug" this, "safe the civilians" that, who frickin' cares.

[shiznitz]

This has real potential to bring me back for a month - but then I think about soloing the first 12 or so levels in AP and GC and I have second thoughts.

[tazelbain]

This has real potential to bring me back for a month - but then I think about soloing the first 12 or so levels in AP and GC and I have second thoughts.

Go to The Hollows (next to AP) at 5.  It's easier to get a group, better level design (although missions on backside can be a pain.).  Stay there until 15.  Do normal missions then head to Striga at 20 or 22.

The need to put a good zone between Hollows and Striga.

[Llava]

The "no debt until 10" rule will make it much easier to get through the lower levels.  You can take much crazier risks now, the Hollow isn't so scary.  And by the time you're 10, you can go to Steel Canyon.

Also- I called it when the Halloween event was happening.  I KNEW those witches were coming back.

[Alkiera]

Yeah, in fact, the first thing your first contact outside of city hall/Hero Corps will do is send you to the starting Hollows contact.  You don't have to do anything for him, just click on him...  but the missions there are pretty nice, and good variety for those who've played out AP/GC/KR.

Alkiera

[Abel]

Now, post 30 [...] I don't even read the blurbs in missions anymore.  "New drug" this, "safe the civilians" that, who frickin' cares.

Higher up things get a lot more interesting, starting with a couple of story archs in the 35-40 range and especially after 40.

Several story archs lead to unexpected discoveries and insights into some of the villian groups and make interesting reading if you're into the game lore. Also you'll run regurally run into big bad-ass AVs and other kinds of big evil. You know, the "serious" superhero work.

Lvls 30 - 40 is one big long episode of drudgery though. Slow leveling and little exciting or new game content. They seriously need to add some spice. With the i5 zone lasting from 25 to 35 it will hopefully improve by a lot.

[Jealous Deva]

I've been gone for several months but just got back into it starting from scratch as a new character, a storm/dark defender.  If you've never played a defender before I reccommend trying a rad/*, storm/dark(storm is something of a pain without a way to immobilize, and dark also gives you a nice disorient to stack and a way to heal yourself), or dark/*.  They're probably the deepest class in the game, perhaps aside from controllers but you can solo from level 1 effectively unlike controllers.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the 2 new defender blast sets and primaries. 

I imagine a 30-40 zone will be coming in I6, they seem to be designing according to what level the majority of players are at the moment.

[schild]

Stop.

Wait.

What?

I can play a chibi anime girl with trick arrows?

Fucking done!

[Signe]

Mission Customization – Many existing missions have been updated with hostage escort missions, villain wave attacks and more!

This bit sounds fun, too.  It'll make starting a new character more interesting.  It's been nice finding the new CoT and Freakshow tilesets, also.  I hope they add some more in I5.

[jpark]

I just popped into CoH for an hour today - and only that - and then uninstalled the program for the time being until I am done with WoW.

I had my free respec to use :)  So I engaged in that.  I noticed that with my empathy defender (named "Moon" hehe) there were a couple of changes to the powers - for the better.  Very nice.  I even grouped - but warned the party I was RUSTY.  I forgot that as a healer you cannot target yourself so only group heals can avail you of damage.

I looked at the body dimension customization - I expected a bit more from CoH.  I am spoiled I know - the added choices were good - but not great.  I thought there would be the opportunity to resize the thickness of limbs (bicep, forearm etc.).  There was some of that  - but largely confined to the torso.

Damn travel powers.  One hour in that game and it makes it hard to go back to anything else.  Those powers are not just convenient - but diverse and fun.  I remember the days of teleporting across the skyline.  Or even worse - teleporting straight into the sky to reach the top of a building.  Between each teleport I would fall.  Never ever has any game given me motion jitters like CoH.

[CmdrSlack]

So you uninstalled because the lure of travel powers was almost enough to tear you away from WoW?  Or because it was still ringing "meh" for you?

[Glazius]

I looked at the body dimension customization - I expected a bit more from CoH.  I am spoiled I know - the added choices were good - but not great.  I thought there would be the opportunity to resize the thickness of limbs (bicep, forearm etc.).  There was some of that  - but largely confined to the torso.

Well, you can get an indirect resize of arms and legs by adjusting the "general musculature" slider. You can't make big barrel arms and spindly little legs at the same time, which might have been what you were looking for.

--GF

[jpark]

So you uninstalled because the lure of travel powers was almost enough to tear you away from WoW?  Or because it was still ringing "meh" for you?

I like both WoW and CoH - but really I just have time for one.  I play with friends etc., and it just makes it easier to coordinate.