CoH Issue 14: Architect Hands-On Preview

[Ethec]

Over thirteen free expansions, City of Heroes and City of Villains have become a breath of plastic-sleeved four-color air to a market far too accustomed to orcs and elves, and with Issue 14, CoH is about to get even more customizable. Issue 14: Architect allows players to use pre-made maps, thousands of pre-made enemies, and many of the design tools NCSoft itself uses to tell their own story, and Ten Ton Hammer was one of the first to try it out!

By removing the tedious aspects of game design and concentrating on the sheer storytelling possibilities of the interactive experience, NCSoft has sacrificed a little flexibility for a lot of speed and accessibility. Because you can’t create maps, place objects and characters, specify a boss’s reaction to a certain attack, etc., you simply have to concentrate on the “who”, “what”, and “why” rather than the “how” and “when.” The onus falls squarely on the creator to tie together the experience with an excellent storyline, well-suited bosses and enemies with accompanying dialogue and animations, and the perfect blend of gameplay conditions to match.