I am so goddamn bummed.

[Shard]

Because today - the day AFTER I was so happy to get an aura-costume code to put on my account - City of Heroes is going to be closing. It doesn't look like they even told the developers at Paragon Studios, they're quite surprised as well but taking it with the professional style and grace that they've always been known for.

I've spent 7 years playing it, and I don't know what to even think about it now. I have so many characters there, and not just that: Paragon City has acted as the central locale for many of my DRAGON characters as well! it's tied many of my worlds together, because of its innovative use of Portal Corp's "other dimensions we know are out there".

Anything was possible, I could fly and teleport and sip tea, I could chat with people literally scattered around the entire planet. Not that I can't do that in other ways, but none so colorful a backdrop or with the digital threat of Hamidon blorping through Eden on its way to conquer Earth. ... Yeah, I will sorely miss this game, and it comes on the day AFTER I convinced my housemate to re-up his subscription, AFTER he decided to move our marvel-based tabletop rpg to Paragon City... Seriously. What horrible timing. I've been crying all morning, it's just... like losing a limb. And I want to go in and see the sights, and then I remember that i won't be able to do it, and it is almost like it's already gone. :/

Ffffffffuuuuu NCsoft. Not one penny of my money will ever go to their other products. There are over 10 thousand people on the COH forums right now, telling them the same thing.

[weyrwomanrhiannon]

Sorry that your favorite game is going offline. (It -is- a game, right?) That really sucks. That's one of the reasons I've gotten to the point where I refuse to pay real money for online things. I can't believe they didn't give you any warning either. You and the other players have every right to be mad, and I'd demand refunds especially your friend since they're pulling this crap. It's just wrong.

[Shard]

Well apparently someone got a response from support about refunds or VIP status (since it went free to play last year, and has a 'veteran' program, as well as paid premium vip stuff too) and it seems as though they're probably going to offer SOMETHING to people whose subs are going to pass the november 30th deadline, or something.

I was randomly going down my lists of characters tonight and on the one server one of the devs was there, I got a special title "Paragon Supporter" totally out of the blue lol, on a character that I really have no intention of stepping into again since parking him. >_> lol actually it's Kalkin, well, the Vanya that lives with Baeris, in his bath-towel glory, hahahah. I just hope that they continue to lurk on the servers, because that was kind of fun and sweet.

Yes, it's the game I've played since 2004, with superheroes. Designed numerous dragon adoption characters in it, because it's gorgeous. I'll miss the character generator, I'm hoping someone digs out the files and puts them up online for use.

[weyrwomanrhiannon]

Well, that's interesting. They definitely should be offering refunds especially since they didn't give any sort of proper warning to their premium players. It's just bad business.

I hope you're able to salvage the characters in some way. I don't have anything like this that I play online though I used to be on Everquest. That's where one of my main 'sonas was born. I really should try to translate her into a candidate of some sort, but I don't know where I could send a dark elf wizard who likes to blow things up. LOL

[Yakima]

I would scream bloody murder if LotRO went down right now...THEY CAN'T TAKE MY HOBBIT! *coughs and composes herself*

Well, I guess I won't be going back to CoH...I've been thinking of trying f2p and visiting my old toons there...I guess I wont. *sits down with big bummer face* I still have the screenshots somewhere at least tho...*sighs* How is that that the good games, like CoH, gets canned and stupid games like WoW aren't. *grumbles*

You have my sympathy Shard...my hobbit will send ya some (ok, lots) of cookies.

[Yakima]

... but I don't know where I could send a dark elf wizard who likes to blow things up. LOL

Oh, trust me, in Pern that might be difficult but in the Nexus, such places are everywhere.

[Shard]

Well petitions are up and still gaining momentum, lots of community support so far, but word ZERO from NC about any of it.

Double xp was turned on and then turned back off this morning. AP33 might or might not still exist after a week of keeping it open AND a dev nudging it to stay that way.

NC is apparently ready to drop and retreat from the US and EU markets entirely. The 'glassdoor' or whatever it's called, an anonymous review site for employees to rag on or praise their companies, indicates that even a year ago, NC was already in turmoil and essentially lying to their employees AND their investors about it all. They're looking at up to 800 layoffs in the next year, according to another site.

They're Korean, and they do business in a very different manner from the US or EU. However, that doesn't either excuse their behavior or give them any leeway in terms of customer loyalty or business practices. They completely screwed themselves on this, and cutting and running isn't the answer - but it is apparently the ONLY answer they're going to give. If they keep it up (which they've removed the phone contact number to Austin offices, and ceased answering the Seattle ones) I'll be surprised if an American court wouldn't simply award the IP to an interested party. Given how much interest there is in it on American soil, by native creators... having a foreign interest suddenly yank the funding and take the IP without the intent to use it is just... opening them up for whatever happens.

There IS an emulator in the works already, by the way. Also, the "take the devs to dinner" mini-fundraiser was an incredible success. Within 3 hours of his announcement, TonyV the main master of things on the fan end, had to close the donation pool having gotten 1045$ out of 1000 ... "that escalated quickly" indeed.

[Yakima]

Well, I'm cheering for it. I liked CoH..it was my first MMO though I never had the money to play it. Like i said, I've been thinking about trying it again as its f2p but...*pokes LotRO* I dunno...running around with a 3ft high hobbit, in a giant present box, screaming at things to make them die or playing a flute and killing stuff...I think kinda wins. Well, I can't fly, and flying and teleporting was totally awesome but my hunter's "porting" skill will just have to surfice.

I can keep my seven brats on stand by if you need a raiding party to infiltraite anything though Shard. They'll probably mock my hobbits until my Minstrel starts screaming at them...her screams are deadly. Seriously. Hehee...

[Yakima]

Shard, i just learned from my ex that the character creator is available still...he says you still need the full game or something but if you could find it, you could still use it to make characters. I saw a youtube video on it...but I didn't find the download.

Just a FYI. (cause I know you made lots of your characters with that game. ) Can't play it...but...at least that isn't gone I guess. (has personally found DC Universe an ok substitute for my hero-flying needs...)

[Shard]

Yes, I know, I've got 4 versions of Icon on my desktop (live and live+npcs, beta and beta+npcs.)

I would never delete it, seriously. I used it to make several of the Red and Green giveaway characters, actually!

[Yakima]

[DragonFlight]

I don't suppose you could hook me up with that? I was bummed too when it closed, but the character creator was my favorite part. ^^;;;

[Shard]

Here is the link on the Titan forums for the icon.exe thread

http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php ... 288.0.html

In the thread you'll find a link to another site for the download torrent (? I think it's a torrent, no clue as I still had it installed) for the I24 BETA client if you don't have that. I believe all instructions are on there. So if you kept your client on your puter? You can still use this.