Pictures from the alternate universe...

Being cut off from CO and STO I spent my MMORPGing time on DCUO on PS3. And since today we finally got screenshot ability in game here are some random screens of some familiar heroes in new roles...

Spinel Heart! Metropolis' darling and Superman's protegee! Bringing pink dust of love and good to everyone!


Watch out Metropolis here comes Spinel!


Posing in front of her mentor's statue in Metropolis' Centennial Park!


And being scolded for crashing down in the same statue...




Gotham City is filled with lunatics and crazies and one of them has decided to keep the city safe... no, not Batman... Nightsparrow!






And last but not least... Bee Girl who got her powers by eating some Olympian honey and now helps Wonder Woman in fight against magical menaces!





There are also some villains, but about them some other time.

Rhino wrote:
And being scolded for crashing down in the same statue...

Who's the guy right to Spinel Heart? He looks like a Mesoc impersonator!!!

Besides that: the game looks like it has a rather "realistic" visual approach in contrast to the "comic" visualization in CO. Nightsparrow in Gotham looks really ace, a cool atmossphere! Something I wish for CO as well.

So, how's the gameplay and the story lines? What's better and what's worse than CO?

It's hard to compare really. All games have their strengths and flaws.

First DCUO is action based, and you fight like in regular action game based on your choice of attack mode (in this case bow for Spinel, martial arts for Nightsparrow and brawl for Bee) by doing combos and regular attacks. You buy new combos with levels. There are many modes of cobat and weapons styles to pick. Your combat modus operandi is fully separated from your powerset. In case of Nightsparrow she uses martial arts as combat mode and gadgets as her "powers". Fighting style counts as "skills" not as "powers" and isntead buying clickies you buy combos, resistances and some appropriate tricks.

Then with attack mode you have of course superpowers that are more in line with regular MMO standards. They are "clickies", have recharge time and cost power to use. Powersets function a bit akin to CoH, with skill trees, but unlike CoH with more options (it's not linear like CoH but more like Diablo 2). All powersets are split in three roles Tank, Control and Heal and all three can switch to Attack role in which powers work differently (Spinel in Heal role can use certain power to heal the party, but when she switches to Attack role that same power does not heal anymore but for instance deals some damage to enemies). Then every powerset has two main branches (Nature for instance has Plants and Shapeshifting) that are extremely different and are usually set that one brach is better in Attack role and other specializes in the role in which that powerset belongs (Nature falls under healing and Plants path is more specialized in that but Shapeshifting is more combat oriented with some healing properties). And then every branch has few sub branches. For instance Acrobatics, which is travel set (and actually a skill set, not power set, but it functions the same), has one subbranch that is for combat, giving you new attacks and acrobatic stuff, other is for resisting and avoiding stuff while third deals with fast travel and gives you zip lines, grappling hooks and similar nice stuff. This actually allows that if someone plays a speedster, he can actually use attack powers that come from speed. So travel powers are much more diverse in what they can do.

As I'm on travel powers, although there are only three (flight, acrobatics, superspeed), they have a lot of options under them that makes them diverse. As said before if you go on ziplines subbranch on athletics you get what CO calls "swinging" and here it actually works as it should... you swing from building to building and tree to tree or whatever you can hook into... not in the sky. There are no fancy stuff like teleport of burrowing though. But they may add more... they also started adding new powersets like very demanded hard light (Green Lantern).

As for the game in general feel it feels more like CO than CoH... simply because main playground are Metropolis and Gotham. But both cities are much bigger (and more varied, looking as real cities) than any map in CO. Look at the screen with Spinel flying, that island in the distance with other part of the city is not just background, it is whole island that you can fly to. For instance just Arkham Island in Gotham is as big as half of any CO zone. But what is better done than in CO is the fact that cities actually seem like real ones. There is no crime and villains at every corner. You can walk the streets normally or stand somewhere and talk without being afraid of random spawns, all villains are contained in "crisis zones" or city districts where some plot is going on. Also what surprised me as in normal RPGs the game actually has random encounters of social kind. So iconic DC heroes are not just standing and giving missions. You can meet them on patrols, see them doing stuff in the city and so on. But there are not only those two cities in the game, there is a lot of other locations, but you go there only when there is alert. So you can travel from Moon to Smallville to Area 51 to Fortress of Solitude, which are all huge locations, but exclusively made for instanced storylines.

Gameplay is a bit like CO, story arc consists of outside missions which culminate in instance and usually boss fight. But I think it is better done than in CO. Outside missions feel less repetitive and instances are realyl varied and made specifically for that story. Also boss fights are really, really fun mostly because they are not usual "go and bash him up", but a lot use many action game tricks to get them.
Also I must say that at least for me storylines are way better done than on CO or STO. They are much more story driven, all are voice acted, they are more dynamic and even if they still are basic "kill X, get Y" they are done in more fun way. Seasonal events are also great and fun. On Valentine when you contacted Aphrodite you had a choice to become a champion of love or scorn and fight in PvP to show what is better or you were turn into a cherub or imp and you could do all kinds of PvE stuff from basic MMO, to platforming and races... all for rewards. On St. Patrick's day Mister Mxyzptlk came acting as a leprechaun and demanded that you must collect certain amounts of golden coins from under the rainbow, but of course for every coin you had to pass silly and funny tasks. When spring came more serious event came, Poison Ivy unleashed a horde of evil plants over Gotham and Swamp Thing asked you to remove them. Villains had a task to spread plants in different tasks, and heroes had task to stop the plants. All events were quite fun and filled with specific rewards (specific costumes, specific usables or for most diligent ones mega boost permanent stuff).

Now, unlike CO or CoH, DCUO is not as detailed in starting character's creation. As devs tell it, the idea behind it was that in comics all new heroes start small with basic costumes and then remake them as they become stronger. Somewhat that is true, btu it seems like a cope-out. So when you start making your character you have limited costume options (compared to CO and CoH, there are still a lot of choices) but as you play and get more equipment you get more items for customization. The thing here is that all random loot you can pick up and slot to wear actually has visual look. So if you find a chest armor, it actually looks like one when you wear it. But you are not forced to use that look. For instance Spinel finds insane helmet that gives mega boosts... but Spinel does not wear helmets! She would look silly with it! No problem not only that she can wear the helmet and turn off the visual look of it, she can pick any other item look to represent that helmet (that she unlocked before). So if she before found a bandana, even if she sold it the bandana stays in her "wardrobe" so she can use it just visually instead of any other item.
so in real game my Spinel who is now max level (30) has a huge wardrobe and a ton of costume options that easily rival CoH or CO (and its free to change them). Also on the bad side there is only one costume slot... although as said you can change it as you wish on the fly from your styles menu, it just takes some time and is not convenient. People are asking for at least secondary costume slot, and so far devs listened to things (like demand to put in screenshot ability on PS3) so possibly soon there will be more.

The problem is that party size is 4, so if you gave a bigger league, you have to set teams. While I understand the idea of team of four because role synergy is very important in DCUO (Basically: Tank draws aggro and smashes them, healer primarily heals tank (and others if needed), controller gives power extra power to party (primarily for healer) and attacker keeps healer and controller safe while helping the tank). So four slots for four roles. But I'm sure that a team of 6 would work as quite as well with more varied tactics.

Basically in single play I can't say is it better or worse than CO and CoH it is just different. It can be acquired taste especially if someone does not like full action game approach. But in one aspect is is way better, and that is PvP, "task forces" (raids, alerts and duos in this game) and end game content in general. This is first MMO that I played that has a feeling that the game actually really started when I hit max level. All task forces are fun, story driven and raids can be insanely hard, but always fair and logical (unlike old The Cure on STO or that time traveling TF in CoH). Also this is first MMO where I actually made characters on PvP server.
Ah yes, bad thing... it's server based. But devs are talking merging all servers in one megaserver (it supposedly already in works) similar to what CO and STO have, but with only two phases... PvE and PVP.

Bottom line is if there is free trial, the best thing is to try it first and see if you like it yourself. In many things it is familiar, and in many it is different. Also sadly at least on PS3 RP scene is small (actually it is just starting to form). I like it quite a lot and it is really fun to play, but I am also quite biased since I'm big DC fan (and characters like Love Angel are not really oddballs in DC universe, maybe a bit extreme, but not strange).

And what about villains? Seems like an easy going and okay game from a hero perspective, what's in for the people on the other side of the fence? You can also walk in Metropolis and Gotham and wreck havoc in the streets on your way to raid the next bank?

Villains have their own set of missions and storylines (and many include robbing something or wreaking havoc, especially if you work for Lex Luthor or the Joker), and yes they play in the same cities as heroes. While heroes are mostly based around various police stations in cities, villains have their shady dens like Lexcorp's nightclubs or drinking pits in Gotham. That is why is PvP server so much fun both heroes and villains exist in same big city and even sometimes being involved in some storyarcs just on different sides. Many times in solo RP urges Spinel had an argument with a villain who she met on missions. Trying to "convince" him to stop doing what he is doing and so on. Funnily many people actually got on the train and started speaking ICly to her.
But those are not random missions like on CoH.
As for those random missions, no they are not in yet. Although again there will be something like that inside. But there are many other specific things to do, like bounties. Heroes have bounties to catch either iconic villains (you can compare them to hunting giant monsters in CoH), villains obviously have bounties to mess up heroes. Or for instance heroes have dailies to do "heroic things" while villains have the opposite. As I mentioned before the game has a lot of random events that happen randomly around the cities. So you may accidentally stumble on the car accident and save the man inside (a heroic deed!) or as a villain you can stumble on a burglar and help him out (or as a hero you can stop him and so on. The thing with those is that they are not specific missions but you do them as you stumble upon them accidentally (you can actively search for them, of course). But those are really minor flavor things, not big missions, don't expect big boss confrontations. There are also semi PvP events like one in which villains have to rob the jewels while heroes have to stop them. Semi PvP because in those missions disabling the enemy is not a goal but doing some other things (in this case, villains must steal jewels as fast as possible while heroes must transfer jewels to a safe truck).

I feel tempted to give this game a try once I'm done with exams (mid september). But not as a boring do-gooder, my main would be a villain then! To compensate all the heroic deeds in CO, where Diurne and me are doing all the latest new adventures and they have a very good pacing and storytelling as well, which lacked at the beginning of CO.

And if you'd see her, she will tell you: "Kneel before Arana!"

Zod approves.

I have little love for the DC universe (I only like Gotham and Batman in Iron Age version) and probably even a distaste for Superman.
Now, if there is a free trial and you want to share some RP time, I will gladly join you both for its duration.

Diurne wrote:I have zero love for the DC universe and probably even a distaste for Superman.
Now, if there is a free trial and want to share some time, I will gladly join you both for its duration.

I'll give the trial a run when I'm done with exams, I'll write you then again. And Distaste for Superman? Good! So you can join me and kick his butt back to Krypton!

Few quick Photoshops I did for DC Universe...

Painting from 1950s with JSA and original Love Angel, Diana Bright:


And modern day "Love Angel", Spinel Heart:

Prior to the meeting:

(Dr. Fate) I've seen a terrible future, something huge and heavy will weight on our home!

(Hawkman) What is it?

(Dr. Fate) It is about our newest recruit, Love Angel, she'll become so fat that earth will crumble under her weight. Her cookies are our doom!

(Green Lantern) We can't allow it to happen, we must protect earth and probably even the galaxy itself from it!

(Hawkman) How much time left until she arrives?

(Hourman) She'll be here any second!

(Hawkman) Flash! Do something that she loses weight!

*Flash races around and removes a chair*

(Flash) Done! *whistles innocently*

*Love Angel enters scene for photoshooting*

Actually they were all playing Musical Chairs and Diana lost.

Prepare yourself for my arrival on coming next Tuesday. My last exam will be on 19th September, so I'll play the demo on 20th September. I'll probably start sometime in the evening.

What do I need to know to make double Sai using brute/tank?

Tanking options are ice and fire (although they announced earth for the next tank powerset) and they both have two sub branches one that is more tanking and other that is more DPS. Ice is more of a classic tank with high defense and tougness, but it is more dependant on outside healers when in a tank role. Fire on the other side has less protection making you more squishy, but you have a lot of self heals and more health in general.

As for weapon set, you will start with one of your choice, I'm not sure where are sais at, but I would assume dual wield melee, or maybe martial arts (I think dual wield since MA has either katars/claws or bare fists). I never played dual melee (and I play Nightsparrow with bare fists) so I know only that you by default start with some long knives. But I saw people running around with sais so they are somewhere in the game.

Important thing to remember... collecting feats (accolades in CO/STO) is important. It is secondary way of leveling. Every feat has its value (e.g. 25 points) and every 100 feat points you collect you get one skill point. This is important especially after you hit maximum level (30) in the game since you can continue gathering skill points with feats. For skill points you buy movement mode powers and weapon combos and passives. That also means that at higher levels you can actually buy secondary or even tertiary weapon tree that you can use.

As for the rest... do not shy from PvP when you unlock it. It starts with "legends" which is PvP in which you do not play your character but instead famous characters with their powers. Later you get proper PvP and different kinds of dailies... from PvP to cooperative. Most are random so every day you can expect something different.
Also level 10 is the first turning point. Until level 10 (you get to it fast) everything is basically tutorial, at level 10 you unlock many cooperative game modes and what is more important you can switch your roles. As said before everyone can be two roles Damage and one other based on your powers. Until level 10 you are locked in Damage role (since it is best for PvE) but at level 10 you can start using tank role (I do nto reccomend it in solo PvE play, it is for cooperative play with others or PvP).

Ah about some etiquette... first and foremost is "know your role" when you play with others. Meaning except in Duos is expected from you to play your role. Also in DCUO all rare drops automatically go into "need or greed", while in that DCUO etiquette says that you roll "need" only on items that are for your current role. LEave healer things for healers (pass) and roll "need" only for tank items. If there is a generic drop for Damage role you roll "need" only if you are playing Damage role in a team, but if you are a tank leave it for the one who is currently playing Damage (alternatively you can roll "greed" on it, but it is sometimes frowned upon, but only on level 30 hard alerts or raids).

Small tips: At start "lock all" styles in your style tab otherwise every item you equip will automatically show on you. If you lock them, you will see only what you have and then you can manually switch costume pieces at will to what you think is appropriate.
Do your vault every day, if you're lucky you can grab some high end stuff in them (although usually it is fun cosmetic stuff any money).
All stuff in game give you items. If you do races with platinum reward... you get an item for every race. If you finish collections, investigations or briefs... you get rewards. Rewards are usually iconic costume pieces so if you want for instance Scarecrow's mask do Arkham Unleashed briefings.
Good site for hunting these: http://dcuo.mmorpg-life.com/
Check your stats and understand what they mean. some of them are PvP only stats so they are unnecessary in early stages of the game. Most people at level 30 have two sets of equipment, one for PvE and PvP just for that reason.
Choosing mentor is quite important since every mentor has some missions that others don't and will never have. Best pick (and most appropriate storwise)is by what they mentor... For metahumans and aliens Superman/Lex Luthor, for normals who use technology and skill Batman/Joker, and for those with magic origin or items Wonder Woman/Circe. Don't worry if you pick something that at first glance has no sense (Sorcery powerset with Joker mentor), it's just a name of the set not what it actually is. But since power customization is in the works we RPers have to stretch our imaginations a bit as in old CoH days. For instance Spinel is metahuman but I gave her "sorcery" powerset. In her case, obviously it is not sorcery but her pink crystal dust. since power customization is not in, I still have visuals of sorcery though. It's even worse for heroes who deal with summoning since they summon demons and quite unheroic things visually. But as said they are working on it. New Hard Light (Lanterns) set already has hero/villain differences.

If you want to know anything just ask, you won't see me IG since I'm on PS3 side though.
Have fun.

Rhino wrote:If you want to know anything just ask, you won't see me IG since I'm on PS3 side though.

...
They separated the game users by platform ?

Sadly yes, and it was because of whiners.
Originally it was all supposed to be the same. But during beta (and I know, I was there.. In beta we all played together) whiners whined how people who play with joypads have unfair advantage over those who play with mouse and keyboard. Then other group started whining how those with keyboard and mouse have advantage over joypads. It was hell so final decision was to split platforms. A decision that many of us want to nullify (and hopefully we will).
But Devs also said that in the meantime they are thinking of possibility that PS3 users transfer their characters to PC and vice versa (and it would be easy to do since both platforms actually still use same servers). I'm betting for a small fee, but that would be okay too.

And on the note of keyboard/mouse vs joypad... it's same thing, it's just the matter of what are you used to (I actually played oth CoH and CO with joypad). But there you have it... whiners won another one. Although I must say that situation is somewhat different on DCUO than on CoH/CO since game is more real action oriented than usual 123-1234-123 button presses of CoH/CO so actually response time and your joypad/keyboard skill use is more important but still both are on the same level.

Somethin strikes in me and says: I knew SOE can't still handle MMOs!

A good portion of appealing is gone since you tell that platforms are seperated and we can't play together.

Seetherius wrote:Somethin strikes in me and says: I knew SOE can't still handle MMOs!

Some of my best MMO memories are on SOE MMOGs.

I'm not blaming SOE for this one really even if final decision was theirs. As said, I was there during the great joypad riots, and then afterwards when it was completely the opposite.

My only real complaint against SOE so far is that they have absolutely terrible communication with users. That doesn't mean that they don't read and work on things that people are asking for or complaining about, but they don't leave a peep on forums or anywhere what are they working on. And that builds up frustration with users since it seems that SOE doesn't listen. And then when someone actually appears on forums the posts are in the manner of "soon", "we are looking into it" or if we're happy some vague explanation without any real explanation in it. Maybe I have been spoiled by Cryptic, but is that hard to have one person who will calm people down when they are rioting about something instead of just locking threads down? The example is screenshot ability on PS3, since beta PS3 user were asking for it, and not a word from SOE, suddenly it just appeared when it did many months later, So, yes they were working on it, but would it be so hard that they posted "it is in the works" and tone down the frustration people were building?

Who wants to try it, wait a bit because...
http://www.dcuniverseonline.com/en/news/archive.vm?id=63&month=current

But players are still differentiated by platform...

Offtopic: reading the name John Smedley is a synonom for "I fuck your beloved game up and I don't care about your needs and rip your money off you!" - I really hate this person, something I very rarely do. If I had a gun with two bullets and I'm in the same room with Hitler, Stalin and Smedley, I would shoot both bullets into Smedley! No further discussion needed about this here, this case is already closed for me. Just letting you know.

Ontopic: Will you convert to PC or stay on PS3 gameplay, Rhino? For now, I'm withholding myself from the game. Now that I have no exams and some time I might continue to work further on my foundry project in STO.

I will switch if and when they put on the option, no problems there.