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.
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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?
Breaking the Wall
If you play games, you probably have thought about what how cool it would be to make them. So how do you break into the industry? What does it take to get your first job?
Today, Geoff "Heretic" Tuffli reveals a secret of the game industry: Creativity is good, but it isn't primarily about the creativity.
Ask Cryptic - April 11, 2008
You asked, we answer! Today we cover more about villains, zombies and a hint at characters.
Arkayne: Gameplay in Champions Online has its own style, BanzaiBadger. The majority of gameplay is in the persistent world with occasional forays into instanced areas to take on some of the nastier villains. Every world location has distinct neighborhoods with gameplay centered in that area. Occasionally you'll get missions that take you between world locations, but those are more of the exception than the rule.
Ask Cryptic - March 28, 2008
Jackalope, Arkayne and Heretic are answering more player questions on everything from upgrades to balance issues in Champions Online.
Learn more in today's developers' blog!
A Day in the Life
Ever wondered what it would be like to be chief creative officer at Cryptic Studios? Jack Emmert takes you through his work day in the latest dev blog.
Identifying with your heroes
Major comic book publishers have pantheons of superheroes who are modern-day mythological characters. Superman. Batman. Wonder Woman. Green Lantern. Flash. Spider-Man. Wolverine. Captain America. Thor. Hulk. Why are some of those characters huge successes while others struggle for sales high enough to justify a monthly book.
Jack Emmert discusses why some heroes soar while others are grounded, and what that means when writing Champions Online.
Ask Cryptic, March 14, 2008
You asked, we answer!
Here are a few of the questions submitted on our forums recently. Thanks very much to Jackalope, Arkayne and Heretic for their answers!
If we didn't get to your question, don't worry. We're going to be doing this frequently, and you'll have a chance to ask again. We're as excited as you are about Champions Online -- it's just that there's a lot to talk about, so we can't get to every question immediately.
Why Champions?
Jack Emmert, chief creative officer of Cryptic Studios, launches our developers' blog with a letter to the Champions Online community:
When working on City of Heroes, interviewers asked me time and time again, “what comics were your biggest inspirations?” While I certainly rattled off a few titles, I also added something else that they didn’t expect: a paper and pencil RPG called Champions. In 1981, I first uncovered Champions in a local hobby shop where RPGs were stuffed into dusty cubby holes. I had been reading comics for several years and had played Dungeons and Dragons. A combination of super heroes and RPGs! Sold!
