[CO] State of the Game: July 20, 2010

Executive Producer Shannon Posniewski checks in with July's
State of the Game.


Hello Champions!

School's out and summer is upon us (in the northern hemisphere)! I'm
just recently back from a vacation to the Adirondacks, where I was eaten
by black flies, the
temperature was high, and the internet non-existent. But while I've been
basking in DEET, the
team has been hard at work.

Summer Update


It's been HOT here at Cryptic HQ, so we've been hiding in the air
conditioning and working on the Summer Update. We hope to have our first
candidate up on PTS on Friday or early next week! We're aiming for
going live on August 17, but that depends on how it looks on PTS and
what you think.

Here's what's coming in the Summer Update:

• Supergroup Improvements
  
  
  
  • We've added a number of new features to Supergroups. At the same
    time, we did a user interface overhaul and made it easier and more
    straightforward to use.
    
  • Supergroups can now advertise for recruits by making their
    supergroup visible in the new supergroup search window. You can specify
    how casual your group is, what kinds of things you like to do, point to
    your website and so on. We now keep a historical log of key events in
    the supergroup such as when people join, change ranks and level up.
    
  • We've added an Event system, which lets you create and schedule
    events for members to attend. You can sign up for the event, decline it
    and leave notes about it.
    
  
  </li>
  

Here's a couple screenshots to show you where we're going:

• Pet Powers
  
  
  
  • We're giving pet powers a huge and complete overhaul in this
    update. We are greatly changing the way they operate.
    
  • Previously, players controlled pets through special multi-mode
    powers and clever pet AI. Now players will be more explicit with their
    pets. An expanded user interface will let you control how they operate
    (e.g. going into special modes) more directly.
    
  • We have made pets stronger overall. They have more powers and they
    do more damage. However, they now need energy to do their work. They
    don't have their own energy builders like players; you will need to make
    sure that you keep your pets juiced up.
    
  • We're very excited about these changes and think they make pets a
    whole lot more fun to play, but we want to know what you think. When
    these changes get to PTS, try them out and let us know. Balseraph will
    also write up a big post about all the changes when we get it out there.
    
  </li>
  

• Ren Center Update
  
  
  
  • WWe gave Ren Center a facelift, made it a better space for
    social activities, and made a place for the tailors to live. We moved
    the Powerhouse to the side, built a big stage and tailors have moved
    into a covered area on the other side.
    
  </li>
  

• Emotes
  
  
  
  • We've added over 20 new emotes and improved the UI so you can
    see and use them all easily. There are many more dances,
    rock/paper/scissors, coin flip and a bunch more.
    
  </li>
  

• CStore 2.0
  
  
  
  • We've rewritten the interface to the store. Previously, you
    would need to go to the web to get reasonably good pictures and
    information about the items. We've integrated these pictures into the
    new store. In addition, we've categorized the items better and made
    navigation more clear.
    
  </li>
  

• Civilian Mission Fixes
  
  
  
  • In a previous update, we made a bug fix which greatly reduced
    the number of civilian missions given to players. Many people didn't
    like this change because they like these instanced missions. In this
    update, you can now also go out and actively get these missions by
    rescuing civilians. If you find a civilian being threatened and defeat
    the critters around him, the citizen will give you a mission (assuming
    he has a valid one for you).
    
  </li>
  

• Tights and High Heels
  
  
  
  • Men and women will be able to choose from many more Tights
    options in the costume creator. In addition, we made a few different
    high-heeled shoes and boots for women.
    
  </li>
  

• Difficulty Slider
  
  
  
  • Our new difficulty slider will "go to 11" (one higher than we
    have now).
    
  </li>
  

Other Major Changes

• Costume Unlocking
  
  
  
  
  • When you find an item which unlocks a costume part, it is
    supposed to unlock for all your characters. We found many that didn't
    and fixed them.
    
  </li>
  
• Sidekicking in an instance no longer has a distance requirement. As
  long as your Mentor is on the map, you stay sidekicked.
  
• Our crack video team went through a bunch of the zone cutscenes and
  made them look more cinematic and awesome!
  
• VIPER's pulson gun will do less damage now.
  

These are just the big ticket items. The patch notes will have the
full list of changes and bug fixes. You'll be able to see all of this
(and maybe a couple more goodies if we get them done and tested in time)
very soon on PTS. Let us know what you think!

The Demonflame


Near the end of September, we are planning on launching the next
adventure pack, The Demonflame. Here's the basic back plot, which some
of you may remember from the Champions pen and paper game.

Nearly 20 years ago, Luther Black used the full power of the DEMON
organization that he'd built to cause the Demonflame Incident. Through
vile magic and human sacrifice he created a flaming tower that rose into
the sky, and at its peak he tried a horrific ritual to let him pry open
the doors between worlds and take on unnatural powers. He was stopped
by the combined forces of brave superheroes and, to everyone's surprise,
VIPER. No one knows why VIPER lent their aid, but VIPER and DEMON have
been fighting each other ever since. Luther Black's plan was foiled, and
the tower disappeared.

Now, with his plans deeply shaken and the day of reckoning coming
fast, Luther Black has taken a desperate gamble to re-create the
Demonflame incident. If he succeeds, he may be able to open a portal to
the Qliphothic realm, and attain his apotheosis of evil.

Work with the mystic hero Witchcraft of the Champions and Violette
Boudreau of UNTIL's Project Hermes to discover what DEMON and Luther
Black are planning in the chaotic realm known as the Qliphothic. Be
prepared to face otherworldly horrors in order to stop Luther Black
before he gains the power he seeks!

The adventure pack has a new environment (Qliphoth) and a new critter
group (the Qliphothic Horrors). It also has a bunch of other cool stuff
in it. We've been playtesting it in-house and it's looking really
great.

And Also ...



There is also some feedback that we're looking into. We're not
promising anything (yet), but I wanted you to know we're looking at what
you have to say.

• Holds in game don't seem to work correctly. Pressing Z does not
  seem to help break a hold more quickly. We're investigating this right
  now.
  
• Many think that too many critters in game can dispel travel powers.
  We're looking at ways to make them less irritating while still not
  letting players kite or ignore them with impunity.
  
• There have been reports than critters with Defiance are too tough
  compared to other critters of the same level without Defiance. They are
  supposed to be more difficult, but we will investigate and see if they
  are turned up too high.
  

Keep cool, Heroes!
-poz


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