a single click. All you need is Adobe Reader.
For use with either a modern browser, or an RSS program.
Champions Online - Patch Day Chaos and Charging for the Expansion
Chaos has hit the world of Champions Online...
Written by Chris Joyce, 28 January 2010
Earlier on we told you about the 'Kitchen Sink' patch that has just hit Champions Online, and Cryptic's plans for the future.
Already things are starting to take a turn for the worst with a number of issues cropping up in game. Part of the patch claimed to fix the performance issues in the Lemuria zone, but in reality it has caused more problems than it fixed.
Players are now experiencing lag in all other zones, and many are locked within Lemuria, unable to move elsewhere. Some players have been left unable to actually login to the game at all, and the forums are filling up with threads of complaint and outrage.
Graphical bugs have started to appear also, with players suffering from 'blinking' screens, and an issue I experienced myself earlier with a dimming of the screen for a very brief, but noticeable, second at random times.
Items of scenery, or interactive parts such as blocks of rubble you are required to lift off NPCs are invisible, meaning quests are much more difficult to complete due to spending time looking for parts that are not bugged.
The changes to the crafting system have also caused further issues, and many players have found themselves not receiving items they are crafting, but still losing the materials in the process.
One of the key parts of the 'State of the Game' post was the announcement of the games first expansion, adding a new zone with content for levels 37 to 40. This got quite a lot of players excited, but now Daeke has caused further outrage by announcing that this will be a paid expansion.
MMOZine Issue 29
For our latest Champions Online coverage, click here to download MMOZine Issue 29 for free.His post on the official forums said:
"I'll cut off this speculation before it even begins. Vibora will be our first paid content expansion. I can't talk pricing yet, but it will not be something on the scale of a full-boxed game. It is a new zone, and will be priced accordingly."
Champions Online has only been live for around four months, following its launch in September last year, and has seen many complaints regarding its lack of content and unfinished state.
To charge for content at this early stage is either a brave, or silly move by Cryptic - especially considering the number of bugs and faults with the existing content.
There are still issues present that have been reported back from the beta stages - some of these even carrying over to Star Trek Online, as it uses the same game engine - and now with even more problems following this recent patch, it would make more sense to focus on establishing a stable base to build future content on.
Although there has been little information given so far on the Vibora Bay expansion, we do know that it gives content for levels 37 to 40 - to me, this is content filler, not an expansion.
If it increased the level cap by 5, or 10, levels then it wouldn't be quite as bad, although still far too early in my opinion, and that of many others judging by the reaction on the forums.
With two major products and licenses under their belts, with Champions and Star Trek Online, Cryptic are currently racking up a catalogue of failures that can't be doing them any favours in the long run - especially with many CO players soon coming to the end of their six month subscription period.
For now, we will have to wait and see how things turn out with the current issues, and await further information on the upcoming, and controversial, expansion.
Champions Online coverage available in MMOZine Issue 29 - click here to download it for free!
»View more Champions Online features...
