City of Heroes News & Events & Guides

5. The Nemesis system sounds really, really cool. Yes, I'm a fan of the Mission Architect feature in City of Heroes, despite the problems it's caused. However, one of the biggest things I'm looking forward to in Champions Online is the Nemesis system. The idea that someone is out there gunning specifically for me – that other players might even someday run into while he's doing it – is just too fun to believe.

6. Updates to City of Heroes have been too slow in coming for awhile now. True, Issue 16 and Going Rogue both represent a huge undertaking, but the last year has seen underwhelming updates to City of Heroes. Even the biggest addition to the game in that time – the Mission Architect – has caused massive problems, hurt feelings, and lost subscribers, as discussed above, and has arguably detracted from the core game. It won't matter if players can recolor their powers or make their heroes into villains (and vice versa) if they get tired of waiting around for the big update coming soon. "Soon" is a word used way too often by the City of Heroes developers.

There will be people who flock to Champions Online at first opportunity, never looking back to City of Heroes. And there will CoH Influence be those who adamantly refuse to even glance in the direction of Millennium City, preferring to stay and fight on the rooftops and streets of Paragon City. And in the middle will be people who like both games, who are willing to give both games a chance to prove themselves, and who perhaps can find a lot to like in both games.

City of Heroes should hold its head high as it faces its competitor-filled future, but it can't afford to keep making the mistakes that have been made in the past. At any rate, competition is always a good thing, as it should make both games better. And if it doesn't, may the better game win.