Getting Back Into The Swing Of Things

From: Our Technical Director...

Our original schedule for post-Kickstarter updates was thrown to the wind, quite literally, when Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. Our first update was, of course, on the Atlas Hurricane. We have since put that on hold, and have picked up with the next update, on the Firefighters memorial.

Sitting next to the headquarters of the Titan City Fire Department in Alexandria, is a small, unassuming memorial. Small when compared to the physical size of most memorials, the meaning of the Fallen Firefighters’ Memorial is titanic in size. This memorial bears the names of the members of the Titan City Fire Department that have fallen, either in the line of duty, or as a result of illness or injury secondary to their performance of that duty. 

The original memorial, which was completed in 1921, was constructed of a circular reflecting pool that had a small fountain in the middle. The exterior of the reflecting pool was covered by small dark-marble slabs, same as it is now, that bear the names of the fallen. During Hurricane Atlas in 1998, the fountain and some of the parts of the reflecting pool and fountain were damaged beyond repair; a few of the marble slabs were also broken, and needed to be replaced, which was seen to immediately. The chiefs of the fire department decided that, instead of just replacing the fountain and all of the associated components, they would like a statue to better honor those for whom the memorial was built. 

Rather than commissioning professional artists to draw up possible ideas, they would have the residents of the city (and surrounding locales) create their own ideas. Eighteen months were allotted for residents to submit their designs, after which it took nearly 6 months to choose the best statue, as there were a large number of excellent submissions. Another 6 months later, not wanting to work through winter, the construction of the statue finally began, beginning with a metal framework, over which the design was placed. Construction was finally completed another 2 years later, in the spring of 2002.

All of the marble slabs that encircle the base bear the names of the fallen, save two. The first features the logo of the Titan City Fire Department, along with a few simple words:

There is an unknown in every fire.
You do your job.  You follow the plan.  Yet still, something can go wrong.   

We honor here, those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

On the adjacent slab to the right, the inscription reads:

FIRE FIGHTER’S PRAYER

When I am called to duty, God
Wherever flames may rage
Give me strength to save a life
Whatever be its age.
Let me embrace a little child
Before it is too late
Or save an older person from
The horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert
And hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently
To put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling
To give the best in me,
To guard my friend and neighbor
And protect their property.
And, if, according to your will,
While on duty I must answer death’s call;
Bless with your protecting hand
My family, one and all.

Now, for more direct updates. To handle the add-ons, we are adapting the storefront system we plan on eventually using for the post-KS sales/cash store. Once we have validated that it works without issue, we will be opening this up for you all.

In addition, for the upcoming anniversary, we are coordinating with the Titan Network's #SaveCoH plans. For other anniversary activity, we are excited to see the arrival of Valiance Online's pre-alpha release. The Valiance crew have worked hard to get to this point, and we all should celebrate this milestone.

In the past few weeks we first took a vacation, to let our brains unwind, before we did anything. Since that ended, we have spent the time setting up our licenses, getting ourselves set up with Autodesk, Adobe, Epic, and more. We are unable to give the most exciting news just yet, but it will be forthcoming. And that is what I must leave us with tonight. If things go well, perhaps before the holiday, a mini-update might be going up.

Nate "Doctor Tyche" Downes

NameSake Radio Interviews Hellwreckage, City of Titans’ Composer - Saturday, November 16, 8:00 PM EST

DJ Mandrake of NameSake Radio will be interviewing the Music Lead of City of Titans, our very own Hellwreckage, on Saturday, November 16, at 8:00 PM EST / 5:00 PST (1:00 AM GMT, Sunday, November 17). Tune in at NameSake Radio.

Hellwreckage will be bringing some of his own music as well as music he has composed for City of Titans. There will be a live chat room going and the DJ will be taking questions for Hellwreckage.

Nicolas “Hellwreckage” Grandell is a composer of movie and game scores which are a strange and unique mix of distorted experimental sounds, hard hitting percussion, and soft swelling strings and horns. He’s a hard-working composer dedicated to giving City of Titans the soundtrack it deserves.

The mission of Namesake Radio is to to be a social outlet that promotes all things related to City of Heroes (including ‘spiritual successor’ projects, such as City of Titans) by providing news and entertainment related to those projects and the supers culture in general. Namesake Radio has created a radio stream with live DJs, regular shows, events, reporting, live and recorded interviews, live chat rooms, forums, and more, in a fun and easy to navigate website.

Heroes For Hope

The world needs our help, heroes.

Something terrifying has happened in the Philippines. We can’t sugarcoat it. 

Thousands are dead. More are left without shelter. Children have been orphaned. Parents have lost their families. It’s like a hurricane with winds the speed of a tornado ripped across a small island nation.

That’s not an analogy. But the English language lacks words to describe what happened. So all we have to give you is a bare description.

If we were up and running, if the game was functional, we’d give you all a unique costume T-shirt or something to urge you to help. We don’t have that ready yet. We were taking a week off.

So. No honey this time. Just an appeal to open your wallets one more time, for one dollar, or whatever you feel you can spare, to help people who were hit by a hurricane ten times worse than any we’ve seen in the USA.

These people are specifically helping where it’s needed:

• The Philippine Red Cross are already on the ground, with food, medicine, and disaster relief. (Select Campaign: Supertyphoon Yolanda. 100 Philippine Pesos is $2.30)

• Habitat for Humanity will rebuild what got flattened.

• UNICEF will help the children who have no one to help them anymore.

 Whatever you can do, we thank you.
 

- The People Behind City of Titans

Fanterview: Arclight Comics (Part Two)

Follow Arclight Comics on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArclightComics
Arclight Comics is represented in this Fanterview by Edward Williams

What led you and your guildmates to form your own comic book company?
The Peacekeepers. Look us up on deviantArt, YouTube, or Guild Launch. That’s where it started.

There are three quotes I’d like to use here. Otherwise, I’ll get garrulous because I can go on all day about Arclight. Some people ask, Why create more superheroes? Don’t we have enough? Well, the correct answer to that would be yes. We have an abundance of superheroes today. We’ve hit the mainstream---we no longer have to keep our geekdom behind closed doors. But this is now. What happens in 10 or 20 years? Are we making Iron Man 15? While this is a great time to be a superhero fan, this won’t last forever. Joss Whedon said it best: “There’s probably a dozen [properties I’ve always wanted to do]. It’s very important I don’t do that. It’s very important that we start creating new content again. We can only build on nostalgia so much before we have nothing left to build on. Before we’re rebooting Spider-Man—again. It’s dangerous to the culture, and it’s boring to me. I squeezed in between my Avengers movies a 400-year-old play. So I really need to create some new worlds.” It is this type of thinking we approached one of the reasons why we wanted to start our own indie company. He isn’t telling us to forget about our nostalgia, but put fresher material on the frontlines with it. You’ve got to have a mind capable of reaching into the future and grabbing ahold of what can be rather being content with what currently is. There’s more we can do with this genre. There are ways to make the business and working model of it all better. Geoff Johns says: “I love comics and I want to read them forever, but superheroes need them, because they’ll fossilize like Dick Tracey or The Phantom. If you stop publishing superheroes now, all the new ideas that will keep them relevant will stop. They’ll be frozen in amber like that mosquito in Jurassic Park. To keep those mythologies expanding, to keep those mythologies fresh, you need new voices.”

We’ve got to get comics back in the greater public eye. We’ve got to keep this medium in circulation---this genre. Books use to sell by the millions. Digital comics have made tremendous leaps and bounds and indie publishers are putting out amazing content----but less of it is superheroes. We’re taking our little 2 year old machine and putting it up against a 75 year old monster. How do you compete? Lol. What you don’t do is try to create “the next” Superman or Batman. Those characters carry mythological gravitas that are unmatched. That’s done and we don’t want ‘the next’ or ‘Arclight’s version of...’ something. But what you can do is described in the final quote: “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Google Jim Shooter’s The Dramatic Conclusion of the New Business Model Rant to get an idea around that. We’re geeks---fans even---who see that it’s time for yet another change the same way Siegel and Shuster, and Lee and Kirby did. We want to be a part of the construct that bridges the genre from today, to our tomorrow.

What have been some of the early challenges you’ve encountered?
For starters there’s only three of us: myself, Jason Quinn, and Jeffrey Roach (all of whom played City of Heroes). We started this venture with a bigger crew and it imploded (a ‘too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen’ thing). When that happened I thought it was over, but it was just the beginning. Our first major challenge was figuring out how to get from the universe we built in the guild to what we essentially have today. That’s scary stuff considering it was 3 years worth of building. 80% of our content was designed for DC Universe Online and The Peacekeepers guild; it was a collaborative effort of 40+ creatives and we could not claim it all as our own with a clear conscience. And we sure could not start this venture dependent on another intellectual property’s influence. We had to define ourselves and our universe. We had to find our voice, our story---then figure out the types of tales we wanted to create. We didn’t want to play into what is being done today either. We had to think ahead several years from now. How do we elevate the genre? It was quite the challenge, but we’re excited about what we have today.

I do think one of our most common challenges are the people who think we’re just...outrageous. Lol. We almost sound silly, you know? Believing we can do all of this. But you know what? We’re fine with that. We’ve got something big to strive for everyday we wake up. Its scary and intimidating at times, but it comes with the territory. And let me not forget to mention one of our Arcitects (the name we’ve given to co-founders; its a thematic thing) beating out cancer. Every step of the way that guy made us believe ordinary people can do extraordinary things. He never gave up and we’re thankful he’s here with us today.

How do you think the views on comics have changed over the last ten years?
They’re no longer kiddie-material, that’s for sure.

We’re at a point where we’re starting to see a shift in the ‘industry’ of comics. There’s a war being fought. People want to see equal representation in the books they read. Creators want to be treated with respect and want the freedoms to do what they do best (create). No more editorial dictatorship---that sort of thing. I think we’ve held certain segments of comics back from being progressive over these last several years and now they’re busting at the seams. People are yelling, “No more!,” when it comes to misogyny, rape, racism and other hot button topics. There’s no longer room for gimmicks and tricks to make a quick buck. The consumers are using social media as a weapon to set the records straight, and man are our voices being heard. And with all of this going on with the Big Two, indies are really taking off. Its a good time to be an indie publisher. We (the consumers) are allowing ourselves to be open to new material. I’ve done it myself and find the other genres fascinating (Saga is GREAT, by the way!).

So, how did you first hear about MWM and their first project, City of Titans?
When the ‘City of Heroes is shutting down’ buzz got started, it was one of the project names that popped up on the list. I didn’t think much of it though. I thought NCSoft would pull through and sell the property or at least change their mind. Once that didn’t happen and we all realized the game was gone, I took to MWM after one of our Architects pointed me to it again. My support has been with you guys since.

What’s been your reaction to the success of the Kickstarter campaign so far?
I am not surprised. I have this uncanny ability to detect authenticity and greatness in people. I see these things in Missing Worlds Media. I see a team of people who share a common love for videogames and superheroes, and are bringing their individual talents together to create something phenomenal. And you’re doing it not because of money, but because there’s a void that needs filled. A problem that needs fixed. None of the other SuperMMOs solve these. MWM has stepped up to the plate. It’s admirable, motivational and inspirational. And because of your authenticity and transparency, a community of over 4,000 supporters has come forth. This is the real thing. I see it and the community sees it. I predicted $500k before you all even launched the Kickstarter. We’re at $450k+ now, am I right? ;-)

$456k, as of this interview!

Of course, I have to ask - where do you think the KS is going to finish at and where would you like to see it finish at?
The Kickstarter will most likely reach $480k-$510k, and I would like to see it stop there and here’s why. More money is always great, but the more money it generates, the more work you are going to have to do to get those stretch goals in there. I want you guys to not feel obligated to do those. Are they nice? Hecks yes. But a fun, functioning game is even better. We live in this society where we want more, more, and more, and often, “more” doesn’t equate to “best” or “better”. I personally feel the less stuff you guys have to get in before 2015, the more time and energy can be spent on making the framework sustainable, functional, and ultimately, fun. That’s what’s most important (to me, anyway). But hey. If you all hit a million, I’ll be doing the same dance I’m doing now.

Any of the updates on the KS page catch your eye?
All of them. They’re so well written and give you so much to take away. You guys are really thinking outside of the box. I’m really looking forward to customization and these flexible classes/archetypes (I forget the name you guys are calling them).

What would you like to see done in City of Titans that hasn’t been done in an MMO before?
I always wanted signature characters to get more involved rather be these lifeless avatars you run to for missions or clues. I want to be flying over the Northeastern Research District and all of a sudden one of the signature heroes is flying next to me. Fangasm, right? Just make them feel more a part of the world. Give them that larger than life presence.

A lot of people either love or hate PvP - what are your thoughts and feelings on it?
I’m in that “hate PVP” category. I’ve just never been a fan. My experiences involve gamers who want to simply make someone else’s experience a negative one. That isn’t to say all PVPers are like that, but the few who are make it bad for the rest. But hey. I’ll give it another try in City of Titans!

A lot of people seem skeptical about a “fan made” MMO actually being done - what are your thoughts on that?
Ugh. Listen. Pixar was “fan made.” A bunch of animation and tech geeks who wanted to create movies---they had no idea what they were doing. Apple was a “fan made.” A computer nerd with a vision. Some people will disagree with me, but all of these big companies and celebrities started as fans of something----basketball, animation, movies, video games, etc. Their fandom became passion, and their passions became visions and dreams which ultimately became realities. You have to be the kind of person to see the potential in something big, look into the future, and grab it. You have to be crazy enough to believe you can monumentally change something, go out there, and do it. A lot of people who have done that were inexperienced to start. People are always going to be skeptical and that’s absolutely fine, but let them be skeptics while you continue pushing towards the finish line. Jobs didn’t have it all together, Oprah didn’t and neither did Larry Page. Just a bunch of crazy, passionate fans who loved what they did, but had a dream and goals. Now look at them. Not all are success stories, but we have examples of those that were. There’s proof in the pudding. Just make sure you’ve got the right one.

I’m going to wrap this up here and I want to thank you so much for taking the time to answer my myriad of questions! Any last shout outs or important news about Arclight Comics you want to share?
It was a pleasure! I don’t want to plug Arclight too much (this is about you guys!) but I will say that if you’d like to, please feel free to Like our page. We don’t have much to share at this time (we’re still knee-deep in development) but will be looking for people to join our team VERY soon. This is, of course, on a volunteer basis like MWM, but there’s so much room to learn, grow, have FUN and partake in this vast universe we’re building. Whatever your profession is, if you believe you can help, be on the look out! We would aspire to be this zany mashup of Pixar, Google, Mindvalley and Valve (a lot of name dropping, I know, but our work culture is inspired by each). If you love comics, superheroes, and if there’s something you’re insanely epic at (drawing, writing, graphic design, painting, business, marketing, legal, etc) we’d love for you to join the team as an Arcian. We’ll make announcements about this on our social media outlets come 2014.

Many blessings on Missing Worlds Media and City of Titans. You all have Team Arclight’s full support. If you need anything just knock on our door!

Fanterview: Joshua

Joshua aka Flow-

Name or your preferred online alias
Name: Joshua
Online Alias: Flow-

Which country (or Country/State) do you hail from?
Canada eh? :)

What do you for work in real life?
At the moment i am in school and unemployed.

What is your favorite food?That is probably the hardest question i’ve had to answer in a while :)
Either popcorn or steak.

Favorite movies/tv shows/books?
I am typically a fan of anything that blasts your mind or contorts it in weird ways, like Inception.

Or Ironman…. because it’s Ironman :D

How did you first hear about Missing Worlds Media (MWM) and their first MMO project?
Back when CoH was up i was talking with someone who was supposedly on the Plan Z team. In about March i remembered that Titan Icon was not the only project out there, so i logged onto my Titan forums account and looked up ‘Plan Z’. I have kept a close eye and tried to participate in any way that i can ever since :)

Why do you think people should support the Kickstarter campaign for MWM’s first MMO project?
I have a few reasons:
1) I am an 8 year veteran of City Of Heroes (Keep in mind i am 16, so CoH was about half of my life). I have played 11 MMOs since shutdown and nothing fills that void, it would be nice to feel home again. The superhero genre niche needs to be filled, and i think that MWM is the perfect one to do it. So much…. Love, you can just feel it.

2) If there is something that Social Studies has taught me, it is that history repeats itself. I just finished with learning about the French Revolution. In many ways i see MWM as the spark to a revolution in gaming. City of Titans is the first MMO i have ever heard of that is being developed by not only a company without a publisher, but also with volunteers.

I think that when CoT comes out that there will be very solid evidence demonstrating that you don’t need a big corporation to push you around to make something great. It only takes a push to get the ball rolling, and judging by the press, you guys have pushed pretty hard :).

3) I find there is always a sign of care with anything that has heart and soul put into it. When something like a videogame has real passion pushing it forward, you can feel it almost holding itself together. I’m not too sure how to explain it, but when i play a game like the new Star Wars MMO, i just get this vibe of…. greed. Like they used the IP of Star Wars to farm cash from its fanbase (To any players, think about the event that happened at the end of the Foundry Flashpoint on the Imperial side).

It sounds like I am bashing SW:TOR now :) No worries, i am a big Star Wars fan and have played SW:TOR to completion on about 4 different classes. But throughout the game i couldn’t shake this feeling of a 100 million dollar time sink. The speeders for example, the flying low atmosphere starships with thousands of years of technology behind it. In the game it costs 340 000 credits for your T3 license and around 100 000 credits for the actual speeder bike. Crunching the numbers with a T3 license that improves your movement speed by 110%... that is about the speed of a bike, a regular, pedaled bike. Why not allow the player to move at 400% speed? Two words: Time sink.

With MWM, i can see the passion emanating from every orifice. On the forums i can see the devs participating in most posts and i can see there is careful consideration behind every decision, not just from a business standpoint but from a social standpoint. I just can’t help but feel this massive wave of respect for the amount of love that CoT is and probably will receive. That is the selling point for me. I can’t imagine a game breaking mechanic at launch simply because MWM has such a close relationship with it’s community. The fact that i, a regular 16 year old guy is being interviewed should be a testament to that.

What was your reaction to seeing the KS campaign explode in the first three days?
At the time when the Kickstarter hit its goal i remember just sitting here on my computer with a stupid smile on my face thinking, “Wow, this is actually happening.” After that i was just speechless and proud.

Where do you think the campaign is likely to finish at?
Hmm… i am kind of scared to guess :)

If i had to venture a guess though…. maybe 550 000?

Any specific tier from the KS you look forward to seeing reached?
I like auras :)

I know we’ve leaked very little so far about the game, City of Titans, but what are things you’d like to know about?
How customizable can the classes be? What exactly does being each class entail? Is there any slight overlap in roles? Stuff like that :)

What will be the first thing you do in Titan City when the game launches?
I would love to say do all of the story or make the perfect costume, but i would just be too excited to fight things, even in CoH i barely followed the story simply because i wanted to tell my robots to attack stuff. I will probably do the same thing i did at CoH’s shutdown, admire the city and street sweep for about 6 hours, perhaps badge hunt. :)

What feature are you most excited for in City of Titans?
The feeling of being a chess piece in a tactical game of gods.

Heroes or villains - which is more fun to play?
I like being the bad guy, the somewhat unstable martial artist that can enjoy his life the superpowered way.

In other words, rob banks! >=D

Have you witnessed any acts of heroism lately that have inspired you?
I was having some issues with physics homework the other day and so i asked the CoH community for help. 2-3 hours of help was given to me from people i had not only never met, but never even talked to. It was a very kind action and taught me a lot about what i was doing.

What is your favorite quote and why?
“Pride is like a shield. When it breaks, you’ll soon follow”

In the fight against Bacon and Chocolate who would win?
It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you eat the bacon.

Fanterview: Megan

Megan

Name: Megan

Which country (or Country/State) do you hail from?
Oregon, USA

What do you for work in real life?
I’m currently a full time student and a part time author

What is your favorite food?
I would have to say Japanese yellow curry

Favorite movies/tv shows/books?
Ancient Aliens, Fringe, The Universe, anything science. I love fantasy and sci-fi books.

Any big events in your life this year you want to give a shout out about?
I began working on my second book series, The Hidden Keys.

How did you first hear about Missing Worlds Media (MWM) and their first MMO project?
I’ve been following along with MWM since before the shutdown of CoX.

Why do you think people should support the Kickstarter campaign for MWM’s first MMO project?
I believe that everyone should find a game that they enjoy and want to support. By taking part in the Kickstarter, players are able to know that they helped bring about the game, and not some giant company who will not care about anything aside from the bottom line.

What was your reaction to seeing the KS campaign explode in the first three days?
Lots of surprised blinking, followed by a “well, these ARE former CoX players, of course this would happen!”

Where do you think the campaign is likely to finish at?
*Does her best Dr. Evil impression* At one million dollars!

Any specific tier from the KS you look forward to seeing reached?
Wings and minions with guns.

I know we’ve leaked very little so far about the game, City of Titans, but what are things you’d like to know about?
I would like to know more about the classes, and I would also like to know more about the character creation process.

What will be the first thing you do in Titan City when the game launches?
Spend the next several hours in the costume creator.

What feature are you most excited for in City of Titans?
MINIONS! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Heroes or villains - which is more fun to play?
I personally prefer villains, but I also enjoy playing the anti-hero.

What is your favorite quote and why?
I’d have to say anything said by Dr. Aeon is always good for a favourite quote. There’s just something about the evil genius that I love.

For an actual quote:
“Fall seven times and stand up eight” -Japanese proverb

This has always been a life view for me. Even when playing games, no matter how many times I get smacked around, I keep getting back up to try again until I succeed.

In the fight against Bacon and Chocolate who would win?
Pineapple would win.

Fanterview: Arclight Comics (Part One)

Follow Arclight Comics on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ArclightComics

Arclight Comics is represented in this Fanterview by Edward Williams

Well, hello there! First off, I’d like to thank you for being a supporter of Missing Worlds Media (MWM) and our first project, City of Titans!

How did you first become interested in comics?
I’m an 80’s baby, so I grew up in the 90s (best time to grow up, hands down!). My first exposure to comics (or superheroes rather) were the slew of animated television series back then: X-men, Batman, Spider-Man and so on. It was the X-men that really resonated with me though. Here were these people with great powers, but were feared and hated because they were different. That spoke volumes to me because I could relate to that. Plus I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life. That’s what really propelled me into becoming an artist, too. I colored and drew on everything after the premiere. From there on out I was hooked.

Any favorite characters in particular?
My favorite characters happened to be blue: Beast, Archangel, and Nightcrawler. Where characters such as Jean Grey and Ororo could blend in with society they could not. As an African American that really hit home for me at that age (6). I knew I was different and I knew some people treated me as such. No matter what I did, no amount of “good” would cover that up for some people. Hank was brilliant, but all people saw was his mutation. Kurt was a great man of faith (I’m a preacher’s kid, so I took to that), but the church demonized him. It was so important to me as a young boy to see how they overcame those prejudices and struggles. Even though they looked like monsters, the inside was what mattered. Hearts of gold. Warren might be hit or miss there. ;-)

You were pretty excited for the X-Men movies, then! Any of those stand out as your favorite (or least favorite?)
This might come as a shock, but I am not that big a fan of the X-films. Were some of them good? Yes. But as an avid reader and fan I did not like their transition from the source material to the big screen. After Wolverine Origins I pretty much threw in the towel with the X-films and have been in that vocal minority screaming, Give the rights back to Marvel! With the exception of Iron Man 2, Marvel has outdone themselves in film. Excelsior, as Stan would say.

Have any of the recent comic to movie translations really stood out to you then?
The Avengers. That wasn’t a movie---that was an EVENT! That was a year’s worth of expectation that exploded that Friday opening night. That was the first time I cosplayed, too. I was Hawkeye and my best friend was Cap. We took pictures with kids and everything. That had to be the pinnacle of geekdom that year.

I’ve never done cosplay - is it intimidating the first time?
It is at first. People are looking at you like you’re on fire or something, but then you kind of forget about what people have to think and get to the fun part of it. After a while we received compliments from people in the crowd. We also came across a few others that night. It was pretty epic.

I drive a SMART car, so people already stare at me like I’m on fire. Is this a different level of fire? Like - oh, hey - ‘Your shirt’s on fire’ or ‘ERMAGHERD-Your-House-Is-Burning-Down’ level of fire?
LOL! It’s more of like a bonfire. It catches your eye and it draws attention, but nothing of that level. Does that make sense?!

It does, thank you for clarifying that.

What was the first MMO you played? Since then, any favorites or ones you keep finding yourself returning to?
City of Heroes. I’ll never forget it. I read about it in Wizard magazine and immediately joined the pre-Beta forums. The community is what really kept me there. I’ve never experienced something like it in my life. I’ve only been able to come back to it----well, until they sunsetted the thing. I’ve tried Champions Online, DC Universe Online, and Marvel Universe Online. They just don’t compare. Marvel U Online is just----ugh, good Lord. Next question. Lol.

How did the shutdown of CoH hit you when you first heard it?
I was shocked like most. It didn’t make sense to me. Here was a great game creating revenue for the company and all of a sudden the plug gets pulled. No explanation whatsoever. It felt like a scandal. We needed Olivia Pope on this one. LOL!

What was one of the things you found different in the CoH community than any other online MMO community?There was something truly remarkable and inspiring about it. Here was this nucleus of high-octane, creative energy that built a universe bigger than the game itself. Characters came to life. They weren’t avatars built for end-game raids. They took on personalities, emotions, and had stories. No other community has been able to replicate this. Champions might come as a close second, but City of Heroes had the best. Have you seen the Virtueverse? The amount of creativity there alone is a testament to the community, and that’s from a single server.

Do you think it’s something to do with the genre of MMO - superheroes - that lends itself to have such a robust and involved community?
Yes. Superheroes are just special. They’re American mythology. They are the things we as children dream of being---and nothing stops us from believing we can be these people because as a child the imagination is infinite. But something happens to us as adults. We stop believing, stop imagining, and shut down. City of Heroes did something to fix that. For a brief moment in time, the children we once were could come out to play. The superheroes we imagined ourselves being became reality (as much as a 3D world would allow us to get). There were no limits, no rules----we were finally able to take to the skies and be that ideal we strived for as children. It was us reconnecting with our imaginations and childhood, and with a game that good, it let us get wild.

Come back next Friday for Part Two of our Fanterview with Arclight Comics where we talk about the how company was formed, the challenges of a start up comic book company, and City of Titans!