Meet the Team - Michael McCarry
Learn more about Michael McCarry, one of the programmers working on Champions Online!
My primary role is to work on the powers and advancement systems for Champions Online. What this means is that I implement all the features and equations for how certain powers affect players, as well as making it possible for the designers to use these features to make our game.
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We've already announced that we will be attending GenCon and PAX.
But that's not all. We're making arrangements for panels and presentations at conventions and gatherings, and we want to know what you want to see.
Who from Cryptic do you want to meet? What do you want to hear us talk about? What are you interested in? What do you want to know more about?
It's convention customization. So help us tailor our presentations so you get what you want!
Ask Cryptic - May 2, 2008
You ask, we answer! Today Arkayne and Sporkfire talk some more about advantages, power selection, character creation and Champions Online on the web:
Choosing an "archetype" gives you bonuses with certain categories of powers, not just powers listed under your archetype. For example, if you choose Brick as your focus, any defensive powers you choose are more effective because you're a Brick.
Meet the Team - Nellie Hughes
Today we get answers to a few questions from Nellie "Domesticon" Hughes, one of the content designers for Champions Online:
Q: What aspect of Champions Online are you most excited about?
A: I'm really into the gameplay. I'm a huge fan of being able to pick up and play a game and do well without having to read and learn a lot of crazy button combos, like many of the other games out there.
Screenshots!
You want to see more of Champions Online? You got it!
We've added more screenshots showing the adrenaline-pumping action combat of Champions Online to our gallery. Check them out now!
Champions Online in the media!
Check out 1up.com for a preview of Champions Online that includes an interview with Cryptic Studios Chief Creative Officer Jack Emmert and President Michael Lewis and ten new screenshots!
Cryptic's still messing with the details, but nemesis-craft involves more than just costume control – everything from storylines to power design is player-picked. Imagine a villain like Kingpin, whose criminal empire is his main power. Or imagine a creature like Venom, whose powers are self-contained. "And you're not just stuck with one," says Emmert. "Once you've reached the culmination of a set of missions specifically for your arch-nemesis, you have the choice to either continue on with him or make a new one."
And head to newstands for a copy of the May 2008 issue of PLAY Magazine, which includes a Q&A about Champions Online with answers from Jack, Cryptic Studios Chief Technology Officer Bruce Rogers and Art Development Director Shayne Herrera!
Jack: More expansive doesn't even come close to defining what the character creator is like in Champions Online. We took the best parts of the CoX character creation system and expanded on them. We pushed ideas and costumes to the point of insanity, and then pulled back to our sweet spot.
Beyond the Wall
In the second part of his series on working in the gaming industry, Geoff "Heretic" Tuffli tackles what happens once you're on the inside. How does the design process work?
It all starts with the vision. What kind of game is this? MMORPG? Action? RTS? FPS? What makes the game different? Customization? Speed? Some new twist on gameplay? Why will anyone want to buy this game instead of any other game in the same genre?
