Interview with Bill Roper: Champions Online Respond to the Balance Patch Issue

Today, we are glad to take this opportunity to interview the legendary MMO developer - Bill Roper from the Champions Online team. We have had Bill answer some typical questions that have confused our players, such as the controversial patch released on Champion's launch day and the differences between Champions Online and the City of Heroes. Throughout the interview, what touched me most were Bill's great patience and his amazingly positive attitude towards players' suggestions/opinions. Hope all the misunderstandings will go and the interaction between Champions and its players can go better and better!

MMOsite: We're so happy to get a chance to do an interview with Cryptic Studios, the developer of Champions Online, which is renowned for MMO titles City of Heroes and City of Villains. To begin with, can you give us a brief introduction about yourself and Cryptic Studios?

Bill Roper: I got started in the games industry in 1994 at Blizzard Entertainment. I worked there for nine years on the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo franchises in various design and production roles. In 2003, I co-founded my own company called Flagship studios and in 2007 we released Hellgate: London. I started here at Cryptic studios in November of 2008 and am very pleased to have released Champions Online on September 1st of this year!

Cryptic studios was established in June of 2000, and gained a lot of acclaim for City of Heroes which released in April of 2004. The City of Villains expansion followed in October of 2005. The core of the team worked on Champions Online and I think that players who have been enjoying CoH/V for the past five years will have a great time exploring the world of Champions Online.

Click here for full image

MMOsite: Can you briefly describe Champions Online for us? There were several comparisons between Champions Online and City of Heroes made by players, are these two games really so close to each other?

Bill Roper: After NCSoft acquired the City of Heroes / Villains games, Cryptic wanted to create a new game that did more than just build on our past experience and success. We wanted to do things we never thought of back in the "City of" days. There are some major areas of differences that make for large differences between the games.

• The Nemesis System
  Just as you can make the hero of your imagination, you can also create their arch-enemy – their Nemesis. Using the same in-depth tools, the ultimate villain can be crafted by the player. And this isn't just the costume and thematic power set, but also the personality and minions of your Nemesis. You then go on a series of story-driven quests featuring your nemesis and his minions. The ultimate challenge is the one you make for yourself!
  
• Breaking Free of the City
  While heroes commonly have their roots in major cities, they also go to the ends of the Earth to fight for justice. From the frozen tundra of Canada to the wilds of Monster Island to the irradiated wastes of the Desert to the undersea kingdom of Lemuria, heroes can explore and fight in more varied locations than ever before. And, of course, they can always return to the biggest, brightest, and most dangerous metropolis in the world - Millennium City.
  
• Customization
  From the look of your hero to what powers they use and how they function are all up to you. This is an amazing leap beyond what players are able to do in City of Heroes / Villains and is designed to bring four-color comics to life. Whatever hero you envision, we work to make real in the Champions universe.

Click here for full image

MMOsite: Many players are familiar with the heroes in Champions Online. Can you sum up how many heroes from the pen-and-paper Champions will be presented in Champions Online? Which heroes will be introduced next?

Bill Roper: The vast majority of the heroes, villains, and setting in Champions Online are directly from the paper and pencil game. Fans will recognize major heroes like Defender, Ironclad, Witchcraft, Kinetik, Sapphire, Dr. Silverback, Justiciar, and dozens of others. As far as villains go, the list is massive, with some of the biggest names like Dr. Destroyer, Takofanes, Foxbat, and MANY more. We've done a lot of rework in terms of updating and altering certain looks and powers to better fit the MMO genre, but we're in constant contact and communication with the table top RPG team to ensure a very cohesive crossover between the two systems. In fact, the changes we've made are going to be reflected and incorporated into the next version of the core Champions Rule Set that just released this summer.

Click here for full image