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Champions Online: State of the Game: Roper Out, Poz In

MikeBMikeB Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555

Bill Roper has just put out his final State of the Game letter for Champions Online, bringing news that he will be moving on to "other design responsibilities within Cryptic Studios." Shannon Posniewski aka Poz, will be taking Bill's place as Executive Producer on Champions Online going forward.

Poz has been well known in the "City of" and Champions Online community for many years, and is currently the Director of Game Programming on Champions Online. This should be an interesting change of pace for Poz!

Roper's parting remarks below:

We’ve been doing a lot over the past few weeks to be more involved with the community, change our development processes to better respond to your feedback, and do whatever we can to continue building Champions into the game we all want it to be. We’ve made some mistakes along the way, but I continue to be very proud of the dedication, effort, and love this team puts into the game. Champions Online is a much more solid experience than when we launched, and continues to have a great deal of promise and potential to become better and better in the future. I am grateful for the support and passion this community has for it.

Shannon Posniewski, or Poz on the forums, is taking over as Executive Producer on Champions Online as I move to other design responsibilities within Cryptic Studios. Shannon has been with Cryptic since back in the “City of” days, is Director of Game Programming, and has been serving as our lead programmer since before launch. He is an incredible force for getting things done and is tied into the technology of the game while having an earnest desire to work with the community and take Champions to the next level. He’s constantly on the forums, so rest assured he’s going to see what it is you’re looking for.

The letter discusses more than just Roper's move, of course. There is other Champions Online news to talk about. Roper mentions that the team is putting the finishing touches on Revelation before it hits Live servers, and then goes on to reveal Cryptic Studios' plans for the super-powered MMORPG once Revelation goes live:

New Missions

The content team has some pretty cool new tools to play with so while we start stretching our legs with them, it seemed like a great time to work on some more content to spread throughout the game. We know that there are a few areas where content is thin, so we’re thickening the plot, so to speak, with some new missions in specific level bands. As we get these into the testing phase, we’ll let you know what and where they are.

Adventure Packs

These are story-driven, themed mission chains playable by heroes at almost any level. Filled with new content, special rewards, and new perks, the first one in the queue is called Serpent Lantern.

View the original State of the Game letter here.

What do you think of Bill's passing of the torch to Poz? Let us know in the comments below!

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Comments

  • RemyVorenderRemyVorender Member RarePosts: 3,991

    If Cryptic is pulling Roper to do damage control on STO, then get ready to set phasers to hliarious!

    Joined - July 2004

  • BureykuBureyku Member Posts: 488

    So Bill Roper is going on to destroy another project, and Cryptic is likely to be working on another new MMORPG to churn through their mill.  I wonder what IP they will destroy this time.  Maybe Thundercats? 

    I also wonder how long until they blame Champions deteriorating subs on 'Poz' and fire him. 

  • augustgraceaugustgrace Member UncommonPosts: 628
    Originally posted by Bureyku


    So Bill Roper is going on to destroy another project, and Cryptic is likely to be working on another new MMORPG to churn through their mill.  I wonder what IP they will destroy this time.  Maybe Thundercats? 
    I also wonder how long until they blame Champions deteriorating subs on 'Poz' and fire him. 

     

    lol, I realize you meant it as a joke, but a Thundercats mmo would be pretty cool.

    I think this is a good move.  I haven't had much confidence in Roper since Hellgate, and his presence was almost enough to keep me from playing the game.  Having a new hand at the will encourages me.

  • rmk70rmk70 Member UncommonPosts: 408

    Poz? She's Poz? lol.................................

  • junzo316junzo316 Member UncommonPosts: 1,712

    Seeing as the Adventure packs aren't listed under new missions, wonder if these will pop up in the Cryptic Store.  Especially since Revelations didn't end up there because of subscriber back-lash.

  • DanubusDanubus Member Posts: 169

    new MMO IP is rumored to be a Forgotten Realms or Neverwinter Nights MMO. I hope to God Roper never touches any game dealing with D&D

  • Dragon71UKDragon71UK Member Posts: 86
    Originally posted by Bureyku


    So Bill Roper is going on to destroy another project, and Cryptic is likely to be working on another new MMORPG to churn through their mill.  I wonder what IP they will destroy this time.  Maybe Thundercats? 
    I also wonder how long until they blame Champions deteriorating subs on 'Poz' and fire him. 

     

    The internet chatter on their next mmo is NWN online.

    Played WOW (5 years), AOC, AO, EQ2,AC2, Horizons, Saga of Ryzom, SWG, CO, STO(Beta),ROM, Allods, and many other F2P titles. Asl been in beta for many of the main titles and played countless SP games. I have been gaming for 15+ years!

  • championsFanchampionsFan Member Posts: 419
    Originally posted by junzo316


    Seeing as the Adventure packs aren't listed under new missions, wonder if these will pop up in the Cryptic Store.  Especially since Revelations didn't end up there because of subscriber back-lash.

    I see what you are getting at, but they have said several times that all the adventure packs will be free, using the exact wording "adventure packs."  Here is an example.

     

    Here is some new important info: Champions Online is now only $10 / month with a recurring 3 month subscription, at least for those who act on this special offer.

     

    Cryptic is trying a Customer Development approach to MMO creation.

  • Xondar123Xondar123 Member CommonPosts: 2,543

    "Poz has been well known in the "City of" and Champions Online community for many years, and is currently the Director of Game Programming on City of Heroes."

    This is incorrect. "Poz" has been with Cryptic since the days of City of Heroes, but they are currently the Director of Game Programming for Champions Online, not for City of Heroes.

  • Xondar123Xondar123 Member CommonPosts: 2,543
    Originally posted by championsFan

    Originally posted by junzo316


    Seeing as the Adventure packs aren't listed under new missions, wonder if these will pop up in the Cryptic Store.  Especially since Revelations didn't end up there because of subscriber back-lash.

    I see what you are getting at, but they have said several times that all the adventure packs will be free, using the exact wording "adventure packs."  Here is an example.

     

    Here is some new important info: Champions Online is now only $10 / month with a recurring 3 month subscription, at least for those who act on this special offer.

     

     

    $10 a month is still far too expensive, and who'd want to play for 3 months? You'd run out of stuff to do and the last two and a half months would be a waste of money.

  • Death1942Death1942 Member UncommonPosts: 2,587

    for the love of god add some content.  That is all this game needs right now.

     

    Still nice to see a fresh face take over and even better that he is a programmer.

    MMO wish list:

    -Changeable worlds
    -Solid non level based game
    -Sharks with lasers attached to their heads

  • championsFanchampionsFan Member Posts: 419
    Originally posted by Xondar123

    Originally posted by championsFan

    Originally posted by junzo316


    Seeing as the Adventure packs aren't listed under new missions, wonder if these will pop up in the Cryptic Store.  Especially since Revelations didn't end up there because of subscriber back-lash.

    I see what you are getting at, but they have said several times that all the adventure packs will be free, using the exact wording "adventure packs."  Here is an example.

     

    Here is some new important info: Champions Online is now only $10 / month with a recurring 3 month subscription, at least for those who act on this special offer.

     

    $10 a month is still far too expensive, and who'd want to play for 3 months? You'd run out of stuff to do and the last two and a half months would be a waste of money.

    I will agree with your point that most gamers will "run out of stuff to do", but I prefer to seek games that have inherently fun and replayable gameplay, rather than games that are based around a "content" or "story" that I can only do once or twice.   

     

    My favorite game of all-time besides CO is Civilization IV.  I don't buy games that plan themselves to contain 40-60 hours of content, I buy games that try to build systems that lead to emergent gameplay.  Will Wright, creator of SimCity, has some lectures on game design in which he promotes the advantages of emergent vs scripted gameplay.

    Why do I say that Champions has emergent gameplay?  Because of the classless open build system.  The developers have created this system that has hundreds of distinct and interesting possibilities, and they give the gamer the freedom to design our characters, just as designing a SimCity or a Civilization. 

    Just to pick on WoW for a second, that game doesn't have any content for me, since once I choose my class I am just grinding to a spec that has already been optimized and played 1000 times before.   Most people think of cut scenes and text as content, but to me content is really about the tools and systems that allow me to think and create.

     

    Cryptic is trying a Customer Development approach to MMO creation.

  • MMO.MaverickMMO.Maverick Member CommonPosts: 7,619

    I realize that this is probably not the best spot to post on these forums where game bashing seems to be the thing, but I actually had good fun the little period of time that I played Champions Online.

     

    Sure it isn't perfect and the high level content is lacking (or just too little of it), but it was a nice fun little MMO that did several things differently - something else than another fantasy MMO again. The graphics were different than usual, character customisation was a blast, and experimenting with your powers and exploring the large city was good fun. And there are lots of MMO's that had a worse launch, CO wasnt a bugfest as some other MMO's were at their launch. If they could take over some of the best things of City of Heroes/Villains, polish it and put it in CO as well, some global events included, then I think they have a good solid niche MMO to last a couple of years.

    The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's

    The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
    Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."

  • black_isleblack_isle Member UncommonPosts: 256
    Originally posted by Dragon71UK

    Originally posted by Bureyku


    So Bill Roper is going on to destroy another project, and Cryptic is likely to be working on another new MMORPG to churn through their mill.  I wonder what IP they will destroy this time.  Maybe Thundercats? 
    I also wonder how long until they blame Champions deteriorating subs on 'Poz' and fire him. 

     

    The internet chatter on their next mmo is NWN online.

     

    Oh god no :(

  • ChuckanarChuckanar Member UncommonPosts: 210

     I also heard that NWN was their next carcass to carve. Oh well.

  • sylum69sylum69 Member UncommonPosts: 100

    I heard their next MMO is based on Call of Cthulu. Has this been refuted?

  • championsFanchampionsFan Member Posts: 419
    Originally posted by sylum69


    I heard their next MMO is based on Call of Cthulu. Has this been refuted?

    I don't think it has been refuted, and Cthulhu is my guess.  Here is some concept art:

     

    Here is a concept art that does not look like NWN:

    I still think it is Cthulhu, or some other horror type of theme.  In all their games Cryptic has tended to use oddball humor, possibly as a defense mechanism (Bioware they are not). 

    Cryptic is trying a Customer Development approach to MMO creation.

  • RednecksithRednecksith Member Posts: 1,238

    Oh sweet Jesus titty cinnamon, please tell me they're not going to fuck up Cthulhu next. I don't think I could take it.

  • OrthelianOrthelian Member UncommonPosts: 1,034

    I imagine that Roper is off to their Forgotten Realms project.

    Favorites: EQEVE | Playing: None. Mostly VR and strategy | Anticipating: CUPantheon
  • championsFanchampionsFan Member Posts: 419

    Well, it's possible that both NWN and Cthulhu will get a turn.  People talk about a 3rd project, but in Atari's Feburary 2010 report to their public shareholders, they have continued to state that Cryptic will be completing new MMOs (plural) on a 18-24 month cycle.  I check the Cryptic corporate site frequently, we have this phrase:



     "Cryptic Studios is initiating development on several new projects. " (source)

    Or the phrasing of this job opening, posted in the last two months:

    "Cryptic Studios is seeking a full-time User Interface Designer. This position is responsible for working with designers, programmers and artists to help create user interface designs for our games."

    Guys, I think we should take them seriously when they say "several."  I think that STO is a moderate success, and we will be seeing Cryptic for a while.   I would consider CO to be a bare minimum release in terms of polish and content, and (no offense to STO fans) I feel that as a beta tester for both games that STO was significantly more rushed than CO.  Hopefully Cryptic raises the bar for themselves and does some damage control on their reputation.

    Cryptic is trying a Customer Development approach to MMO creation.

  • EmeraqEmeraq Member UncommonPosts: 1,063
    Originally posted by parrotpholk

    Originally posted by Dragon71UK

    Originally posted by Bureyku


    So Bill Roper is going on to destroy another project, and Cryptic is likely to be working on another new MMORPG to churn through their mill.  I wonder what IP they will destroy this time.  Maybe Thundercats? 
    I also wonder how long until they blame Champions deteriorating subs on 'Poz' and fire him. 

     

    The internet chatter on their next mmo is NWN online.

    That would be a shame to curse something as good as NWN and damn it to cryptic hell.



     

    QFT..... NwN and NwN2 Persistent Worlds, created by modders, will likely STILL be better than anything these guys do.

  • ArcAngel3ArcAngel3 Member Posts: 2,931
    Originally posted by championsFan

    Originally posted by junzo316


    Seeing as the Adventure packs aren't listed under new missions, wonder if these will pop up in the Cryptic Store.  Especially since Revelations didn't end up there because of subscriber back-lash.

    I see what you are getting at, but they have said several times that all the adventure packs will be free, using the exact wording "adventure packs."  Here is an example.

     

    Here is some new important info: Champions Online is now only $10 / month with a recurring 3 month subscription, at least for those who act on this special offer.

     



     

    I have to wonder if Cryptic truly grasps how much many gamers literally hate paying a subscription, but not getting the full game for their money. 

    If they start listening to that feedback, I wonder if they'd get more subscribers. 

    This game has had issues with bugs, lack of content and the cash shop.  That's a pretty damn shaky start imo.  Some games simply don't recover from that.  I hope this one does, but Cryptic really needs to get rid of the subscription plus RMT money pit model.

  • describabledescribable Member UncommonPosts: 407
    Originally posted by championsFan


    Well, it's possible that both NWN and Cthulhu will get a turn.  People talk about a 3rd project, but in Atari's Feburary 2010 report to their public shareholders, they have continued to state that Cryptic will be completing new MMOs (plural) on a 18-24 month cycle.  I check the Cryptic corporate site frequently, we have this phrase:



     "Cryptic Studios is initiating development on several new projects. " (source)
    Or the phrasing of this job opening, posted in the last two months:
    "Cryptic Studios is seeking a full-time User Interface Designer. This position is responsible for working with designers, programmers and artists to help create user interface designs for our games."
    Guys, I think we should take them seriously when they say "several."  I think that STO is a moderate success, and we will be seeing Cryptic for a while.   I would consider CO to be a bare minimum release in terms of polish and content, and (no offense to STO fans) I feel that as a beta tester for both games that STO was significantly more rushed than CO.  Hopefully Cryptic raises the bar for themselves and does some damage control on their reputation.




     

    STO can't maintain it though, takes less than 2 weeks at 4 hours a day to get to rear admiral on federation (and that's a lot of grinding... as the actual number of proper quests for an "MMO" is laughable). The fact Klingons are half done and they're still talking about new factions (via the C-store) doesn't fill me with much promise.

    Cryptic should never have tried 2 MMO's at once... it was idiotic, in every sense. They still haven't figured out that most gamers play 2 MMO's nowadays... and a double sub package may actually help CO before it dies a death.

    CO WILL die it's at a price Auto Assault was at retail before that went to the land of dead mmo's... hell i saw more content in Tabula Rasa than both CO and STO put together :-p and that failed. (well shut down.. i miss TR still popular in europe and it was beginning to work)

    Cryptic can't possibly work on a 3rd MMO can they... it would defy madness...even the big guns Activision, EA wouldn't be that crazy...

     

    "nothing actually matters, we're just slightly evolved monkeys clinging to a dying piece of rock hurtling through space waiting for our eventual death." - Frankie Boyle, Mock The Week

  • LogansanLogansan Member UncommonPosts: 45

    If they are about to start work on a NWN MMO, I just hope they realise that such a game will not work with the cell shading look of graphics (ie. CO). I don't think when anyone thinks about NWN they have cell shade type of graphics in mind.

  • Christopher8Christopher8 Member Posts: 134

    I don't think for a second they demoted him, that would be a slap in the face even though Roper is controversial. Wonder if he was put on the mysterious third project?

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