Addressing Community Concerns and Suggestions for DCUO's Future

Hello everyone,

I'm not sure what's currently happening behind the scenes at DCUO, and frankly, I probably don't want to know. The player count is alarmingly low, and in recent weeks, it seems like everything is being done to keep it that way or make it even lower.

DCUO has found a new Creative Director, but unfortunately, there's been no noticeable impact. Week after week, they're churning out Episode Spotlights, which might be exciting for new players but are no longer relevant for long-time players. However, these new players quickly leave because after over 12 years, the DCUO system has become so extensive that most are overwhelmed and leave once they realize the complexity. Even Episode Spotlights don't help.

The Omnibus System was a good start. Instead of just putting rare collections and armor from DLCs in the reward boxes, they could include collections and armor from capsules there too. So why not expand it to accelerate progress for some players and provide new incentives? With all the capsules (unless you've been playing for 12 years straight), it's also difficult to obtain the necessary parts and collections with the Broker and Quarks currency.

Then there's the issue of the calendar. Monthly subscribers are increasingly questioning why they should pay for calendar extras. Old armor from DLCs (instead of exclusive new armor) and only one new item per month don't justify the price. For example, why not include old armor, materials, or auras from old capsules for players who pay monthly?

I absolutely can't understand why a community is deliberately left starving, when so much could be done to make it worthwhile to play again.

I started in 2012, paused around the "Throne of the Dead" DLC, and resumed with "Wonderverse Themyscira". I've been around DCUO for a few years, and I see the weaknesses, especially where even with a lot of in-game time, I'm not really progressing in some areas. And i have near 800 SP! And it's not the old DLC armors, but especially the whole capsule area, older Raid feats etc.

A Spotlight DLC doesn't motivate players to catch up old feats. Many veterans already have them, and motivating new players is difficult. So why not introduce a system where players are rewarded for completing a feat again? Essentially, a "Feat Spotlight" with extra rewards?

There are so many things I could suggest, and I hope the new Creative Director takes a look at the forum.

A game lives and dies with its community. And if you work against it, we might as well order the coffin now. Of course, you can't please everyone, but the core problems are likely the same for many.

Regards,
XBlue

To start with, they'd need a long-term communications internship, it's just absurd to see how limited communication is, when you see studios like FF XIV Online or Guild Wars 2, to name games as old as DC, there really is a staggering gulf...

the game is not dying, but def in maintenance mode.

accept this fact and play accordingly, you will sleep better at night than time spent imagining what the game 'could be"

Finally some common sense! Again the game is going through a transitional phase where priority will be discussed.

It's no surprise there is brief communication with the community until they figure out where they stand with resources they have.

Until then chill out lmao

Some of biggest MMOs in the world so it makes sense they would have more resources compared to dcuo. The problem we had was a terrible community manager.

DCUO has found a new Creative Director, but unfortunately, there's been no noticeable impact.

So you expect a new director to start implementing changes on things that have already been in the process of being put together? Basically you are saying you have no idea what's going on behind the scenes, but like an entitled modern era individual with little inclination to ask questions, you prefer to have everything handed to you right this very second.

Realize: the next dlc was being put together, "at the very minimum" right after the last one was released. There's a lot that goes into it. Character concept, creation, styles, licensing, legal rights, approval, voicing, implementing, designing, and I certainly could go on, but then you still wouldn't have your required changes right this second.

]ah yes more resources it changes so much to have a good communication, give us a break with this argument Mad in DC "more resources", it has nothing to do, because even studios with a handful of devs that count on 1 hand or 2 are able to do better than that in communication!!!!

You know, one actually has to do some maintaining when in said maintenance mode...

Is dcuos decline on daybreak or on dc comics for not promoting the game? They should have been advertising those tie in styles on their instagram every time a movie dropped… blue beetle shazam and all the other conveniently timed releases….

two jaded owld thumbs up there, guvnor. +1.

Could very well be that DC isn't responsible for advertising the game. They just license the IP to Daybreak/Dimensional Ink, so any advertising for the game might/could fall on the ones making the game. Add in all the chaos that's been taking place with WB and DC over the past year or two ('m not even 100% sure of the state of which company owns what or is in charge at this point LOL) and it becomes even less likely DC would do much because they've got other concerns.

As for traditional advertising? That ain't cheap, and you don't typically see advertising for a game a decade after it releases. That usually gets spent on the run up to and just after the game launch.

It isn't DC Comics responsibility and why would they since they don't directly profit from a 13 year old game? Promotions and advertisements cost money and they're not getting that money back from us. If you go to their website the latest promotions are towards Suicide Squad, DC Heroes & Villains, Gotham Knights and Multiversus.

Its not ressources the last lead designer proofed that its mostly ur own choice.

The truth is that this game is just on a very low priority level for daybreak grames. We all have some amazing input for great ideas. I would love for them to start selling all of their daily login reward styles in the marketplace for styles that people have missed out on ( i still want the enhanced future warden style) and an increase to 900 items for a base item limit. These ideas wouldn't take as much work as the larger ideas the game engine can't handle or break the legacy code that can change the game around, but we can post them until we're blue in the face. It doesn't mean anything will actually be done. Us demanding a roadmap just doesn't help the situation. Them being on radio silence doesn't make any of us want to invest in this game at all either. Starting to get into the vibe of just getting our dailies done and hoping off which is really sad.

If I had the power to do anything business wise, I would seek a collaboration with WB. I’d start with utilizing marketing DCUO to the comic book fan base through advertising DCUO in all published / online DC Comics. I would then offer the reverse, by directly advertising DC Comics to the DCUO player base via the daily welcome screen / in the Marketplace / in subtle ways through game play. One or more of those billboards in Dakota City / Gotham / Metro / Central City could advertise a latest edition of a DC Comic or a DC Movie WB is making.

This is just off the top of my blonde head if I had any power to influence anything lol

Hi! Do I need to be “worried” as a New player coming to this game? I signed up for 3 concurring months and I have no plan to remove it. But I've read through some of the Forum posts, and seen that people are publishing worry-some Threads about the future for the game.

They tried that already and everything tied to WB (BvS film and CW Arrowverse merch) was removed from the game the week after they told us they had no plans to remove them. So what's the point of them collaborating outside of DC if we get shafted in the end?

I don’t know the answer for that, and I was unaware of this previous collaboration.

No, I don't expect miracles, of course. However, what I do expect is for there to be a more open communication with the players regarding the game. Where is it headed? What exactly does the future look like? Does one want to bring the game graphically into the modern era? (The latter was part of Enad Global 7's plans in 2022, which ultimately seems to have been quietly swept under the rug!) And no, I'm not referring to the misunderstood roadmap, where it no longer appeared and only the PS5 upgrade was mentioned, but rather the information provided to Enad Global 7 shareholders.

I also don't mean that a new DLC should be rushed out with characters straight from the drawing board, who have been painted slightly differently, or hastily put-together maps from old content, which are often played in reverse.

I could easily go without new DLCs for 2 years if the fundamental structures are finally addressed. Especially bugs that are half as old as the game itself. My goodness - no one can convince me that after over 6 years, these errors still can't be found. In that time, I probably could have taught myself programming and memorized the code myself (for example: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dcuo/index.php?threads/cant-save-weapon-mastery-styles.304183/).

Among other things, PvP needs to be revived. It was once a strong pillar in the game until it was no longer given attention. Make the game interesting for new characters again, so that there is a perspective to achieve without having to buy Wolfpack Tokens for €100, without even looking at artifacts, allies, augments, etc. The game was clearer back then, but you could also focus on other areas instead of running the same nonsense day in and day out. Currently, it's more work than a game. DCUO has become a grind game!

Skill points, armor, armor mods... done! Then switch to another character, some PvP, older feats, etc. Less chasing after the carrot that's dangled in front of you, back to basics, take a breath, and let a game be just a game again.

Bring challenging content that doesn't have to be achievable on the first day. And if it takes weeks to beat the bosses. Let the elite armor drop again in the raids. Make it relevant for raids again so that it becomes easier and mistakes can be compensated for by better armor. Stop with Elite, Elite+, etc. Yes, there are hardcore gamers who love Elite+ and see artifact swapping as a mission to torment themselves with such crap. Personally, I don't need to pound on a boss for half an hour. That's not a challenge, that's a job creation measure. If I understand a mechanic, the only challenge in Elite+ is not making a mistake for a long time... even worse... no one else on the team can make a mistake. It's no wonder that hardly any tank is up for such raids anymore. It's a stress test for most tanks and (at least for me) has nothing to do with fun anymore. Challenging is totally fine!

Give the game other areas that are worth it again. Let players who want to do PvP, play PvP. Reward paying customers properly through the calendar. Reward players better in the Episode Spotlight, so that EVERYONE is excited about the content again. Double source marks are a joke! Bring the focus back to old feats, reward players who repeat feats or help, even if they already have them. Make old capsule content more accessible. Quarks are okay, but how many years should one save to buy a material out of hundreds?

It must be worthwhile for new players as well as for old ones. Bring old and new players together. Give new players a perspective! Keep old players engaged! If this can be achieved without immediately seeing dollar signs again, one prepares a community that is also willing to invest money again. Even if it's just for cosmetic things!

Their license of DCUO doesn’t expire till like 2030 but man six years of just same content recycled doesn’t bode very well for me. I’m hoping two things happen this year which are interconnected. Either we see a huge decline in the game’s content which foreshadows that the game is truly dead from progression OR the new creatives that were hired give us some good QoL updates. But it’s gotta be that or I’m not renewing my yearly subscription for 2025. That’s that.