Sunday, September 9, 2012

Champions Online (Day 1, Part 2)

So, this entry will attempt to cover considerably less ground. And it has pictures - because Eps didn't think to include pictures until just now. I plan on doing another, independent of the day journal style, post later in the week to expand on some of the things I mentioned during what was supposed to just be an overview of my tutorial experience. But until then, Day One – Part Two.

After completing the tutorial and finding myself whisked into the game proper via a snazzy cut scene, I found myself planted near Defender, the game's main hero (City's version of States- er.. Positron?) and was essentially directed to speak with him via the game's giant World of Warcraft style icon floating about his head. Upon talking to Defender, he had three assignments for me. This, I can say without a doubt, is much, much better than the last time I played. It used to be that when you exited the tutorial, you would receive a flood of further tutorial style quests teaching about the various organizations, crafting, etc.

Not now, and thank god. It was overwhelming. This new approach is much more user friendly. The first quest is the most obvious, where you are directed to Power House – the game's training zone. (I'll elaborate a little later.) Upon entering the zone and speaking with the trainers, watching videos explaining combat basics, and receiving my pre-determined AT specific powers, I was on my way to tackle Defender's other two tasks.

Technically, I should only have one. I re-joined the game during an event, and the first task was tied to this event. Assuming the event is closed in the future, mew players wouldn't see it. Regardless, I had two tasks. Investigate the sudden resurgence of a hero known as Night Hawk (and see why he's suddenly committing crimes) or go work with Kodiak in Westside. Kodiak has a map indicator, whereas Night Hawk does not (or so I thought) and thus Kodiak it was.





A slight backtrack, here. This is my “Fist”, Violence Chang. Named after a very loose City of Villains concept, reborn as a hard boiled Hong Kong cop. Much like City, when you hit level four, you gain a travel power. Well, not “much like” City, you gain a travel power regardless – independent of your other power choices. So in City, where you have to choose between fast travel or more combat options, Champions says “Here, take one.” And since you're level six before you ever leave the tutorial, you have a travel power before you even start the trek to Kodiak. And a trek it is, but thankfully I now have “Athletics.”


Athletic's features both increased run speed and jump height, akin to City of Heroes's Ninja Run. 


Westside is due West of your starting location, taking several drops in height before you finally enter a very King's Row like neighborhood. Not quite ghetto, not quite lower middle class – it's Westside. While dodging various gang members dressed... interestingly.. I finally come across Kodiak. And he's a cop who is a were... wolf? Bear? Were-something. Beast like, but wearing cop clothes. Whatever. At his behest, I begin to take the fight to one of the Westside gangs – the Purple Gang. Named due to their choice of clothing color. Color aside, they're very close to a Mafia style gang. Loan sharks, hit men, knife wielders, get away drivers – it's deliciously Mafia. Just flavored “purple.”


The Purple gang offers very little resistance to the awesome power of One Hundred Hands, and after running through several “go here, kill these guys” missions, I finally get my hands on something a little more meaty. But I'm exhausted, it's 3 PM something and I have to be at work in less than 7 hours. Time to call it a day.

 
Vicious Strikes, the Fist's Auto Attack.

One Hundred Hands, a "Maintain" power where one holds it down to continue doing damage.

- @Epsicon

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