DCUO: Progressing or Stalled?

Progress via change is an integral part of keeping an MMO alive and thriving. It's unfortunate, yet true, that the PS3 version of this game forces a large amount of restrictions on what and how the DCUO development team can progress with the game. The good folks in Austin try to release new end-game content a few times a year to keep up with demand from players that clear new content the day it’s released. Creating new instances from scratch takes a great deal of time which is why we get so many reused environments, scenarios, and even boss fights (I'm looking at you Krona, Jor El, Kyle Rainer beam attack). They released a DLC forcing end-game into the open world (Hand of Fate) with the operations and the "new" quests that required CR 80+ folks to attack level 7 enemies at Bane's Lighthouse or queue into level 17 alerts. You can tell they’re trying to think outside the box to use what they have to make something new. Some people on the forums have referred to it as end-game leftovers but it’s more complicated than that.

The restrictions imposed on the games progress by the PS3 are purely technical. I mean no offense to the PS3 player base of our beloved game. I have an account on the PSN that I play with my nephew from time to time and the population, enthusiasm, and player skill is on par (in the case of population, far superior) to our PC community. I also acknowledge that during the first year of the game, before the F2P remodel, the PS3 player base single-handedly kept our game alive. I remember many days with my league in summer 2011 where we were about 75% of the entire USPC villain population. The PS3 is running on 7+ year old technology. It has a laughably low amount of RAM. It runs on very outdated video hardware and driver software.

The game developers in Austin are creative folks. I think the game they’ve managed to make is fantastic (as I think we’d all agree). When I played the PC beta in 2010 I was hooked based on the combat system alone. To this day I play various action games on PC and consoles that can’t hope to match the combat mechanics of the MMO I play (crazy if you think about it). I personally am torn because I want everybody out there to love and enjoy this game yet I know that all progress that this game makes going forward is going to be based on compromise. In most cases it’s never going to be what they envisioned... only what they settled for.

I’m not suggesting that the PS3 version of the game be discontinued or separated from the current “shared space” server system it has with the PS4 version. I’m proposing that we, as a community, verbalize what level of compromise we are willing to settle for. Do all versions of the game HAVE to be 100% identical? Is it acceptable to have version differences? I don’t ever want there to be a version of the game on PC or PS4 that has exclusive raids. I don’t ever want there to be a version of the game that gets exclusive power-sets or weeks/months early releases of content. As it stands the current state of the game is NOT identical across all platforms. SOE has a direct pipe-line to their PC users. They can issue hotfixes whenever they want. It’s a more active/re-active relationship. When it comes to the PS versions of the game SOE has to deal with PSN. PSN regulates the flow of content to their users. They also have a Quality Assurance department that reviews content releases. Rightfully so… they don’t want to release a patch that might break home consoles. It’s not Windows; you can’t do a system restore.

I want new weapons added to the game. I want new movement styles added to the game. I want there to be a day where we get a 16-man raid (just think how epic that’d be). I also know that it’s going to be absolutely impossible to see that stuff come out with the current state of game equality. I’m fine with that for the most part. Adding new weapons are somewhat possible because they’ve done it before. It’s just not likely because of the memory restrictions. New weapons = new animations = memory bottleneck. I came to this realization with the new announcement of Weapon Mastery. Weapon Mastery is to combat mechanics as Operations are to Raids. They’re doing the best they can to make something new out of something old. It’s the same weapons and same animations but wrapped up in a new mechanic. It’s going to give veteran players with 160+ skill points something more to do with those skill points which helps forward the end-game while tip-toeing around their platform restrictions. I like it.

New movement styles seem like a big pipe-dream. Using the restrictions as an example I make the following proposition. What if we introduce three new movement styles based on the Technology theme ever present in the game. Each movement style will mimic the three current movement styles already in-game. By mimic I mean similar skill trees, movement animation times, and travel speeds. Hoverboard = Super Speed. Hover Chair = Flight. Mech-Suit = Acrobatics. Make them available exclusive in the marketplace for like 10-15 bucks each, not part of a DLC or GU. If there are new animations included it will be minimal so all platforms should be able to run it. If that’s not the case is the community willing to put up with something like that being released for PS4 and PC only (with the PS3 users seeing the movement type/animations of the movement styles they’re mimicking). SOE stands to make a good deal of money from this as well. Each of those movement types will introduce new styles that can drop from lockboxes, which can be sold (helping stimulate the in-game economy). If successful they could introduce Meta & Magic themed versions.

No convincing will ever let me think that 16-man raids will ever be added to the game… That doesn’t change the fact that I’d LOVE to see that. Anybody else agree?


I want this game to go on forever. I love that users are able to take 6 month breaks and come back without missing a beat. I love that there are seasonal events and content that rewards players for sticking around. I love the combat system and instanced events. For the things that I love in the game to keep going I know that change is necessary for progress. What are your ideas for the game to keep it going for YEARS to come? What are things you want to see in the game (restrictions or not)? What level of platform separation are you willing put deal with (if any)?

Good post.

Depends how you look at it. In terms of progress the game always seems to be between two sets of opinions and its always a tug of war.

My opinion is the direction and future changes are abysmal. They are slowing the game down while nerfing mechanics to input new ones which will put them on a level footing with other more marketed MMO's. Im sure its been well stressed, but no other MMO plays like DC. For them to remove the foundations that has set up the games inception is bemusing. The incentives you get with the mechanics is what gives the game a sense of fun and it no doubt sells the game to people who have played other MMO's (which is the case with myself).

What the new changes propose is for everything to become one dimensional. It's transitioning into tap tap tap, hit - use power basis and that's just something I can't see eye to eye with.

But on the other hand there will be others that do agree with the changes. However what I will conclude is currently there's the OPTION to play between the two, but like most cases the devs are choosing sides rather then catering to balance overall. Just because one OPTION often outlays the other when it comes to scoreboard and genuine competitiveness, the solution is not to penalize one side, its to create balance which is achieved by having the two sides share the exact same benefits and downfalls.

Until the game swings in THAT direction then i'll have a more positive view on things.

Good post and its a real good read. Devs promised PS3 users a trilogy so until the trilogies are done we will be able to look at stopping the PS3 from additional content. Once that happens most likely there will be plenty of PS4 users and they may even by then have the power to merge USPC and USPS4 like other MMOs such as FFXIV and ESO. However we wont know anything until the trilogies are over which is somewhere in early 2016.

Speaking selfishly from a pc user

I would pay a larger subscription in return for either:
DLC more often = 7/8 per year of the same size
Or
Double the size of DLC at the same rate now, 4 per year.

They'd include new(as in completely new) area for us to explore and all the feats and collections that come with this.

New powers could be a bigger event, maybe only 1 or 2 per year.

On the ps3 debate, I'm afraid my hopes would not include them as it would be too much for the devs to be restricted like this.
I'd announce a final battle DLC for ps3 and the servers would stay open but the game would conclude on this DLC while the pc and ps4 would continue on.

I'd like us(the players) to show the devs/soe /whoever ,our commitment by upping the money we pay, and them(our beloved game makers) showing us how great this game can really be.

This'll never happen ps3ers, plz don't hate on me

Well written OP, I agree that eventually this game will not survive to long supporting Ps3 server, as I am aware of the crashes, disconnects it is something I do not want continue in the future. So Im just waiting for the right time to move on to Ps4.

Its stalled.

I dont blame them for keeping PS3 around because theyd lose far too much money if they dropped it when PS4 came out, but at the same time, it creates a problem when you have to limit the content you produce to work around the restrictions from the PS3...Spytle has said repeatedly they cant add new powers because of memory issues and he said the same thing in the live stream in regards to mixed weapons which is why they made weapon mastery

Im hoping by this time next year, theyre making preparations to drop PS3 completely, because as much as it carried the game from launch until now, it really is holding it back...New areas, new powers, new animations, new movements all cant happen because of PS3

Another thread about the same topic? Doesn't matter how well written it is this game isn't going to change because you want it to as far as getting rid of the PS3 playerbase. Some of you need to realize this by now and just give up on this argument until the PS3 isn't supported anymore which is at least a year and a half away at the least.

Nerfs/balances are being applied to all versions/platforms of the game. How would you feel if certain "fixes" only were applied to PC or PS4? Let's say there is a macro command with Hand Blasters that becomes the new flavor of the month after the next update. This macro can only be run on the PC version of the game causing SOE to "adjust" HB on PC but leaves it as is on the PS versions. Is this okay? Because the PS players aren't able to execute this specific macro the game as a whole falls back into balance but the PC was targeted specifically for this change.

Also, if allowing a platform exception here is okay... where do you draw the line?

Why can't it change? Why not have seperate iterations of the game? I mean to let the community express itself so SOE can take the feedback and work with it. Is that not why we now have a Work In Progress thread?

Misinterpreted what im saying. Im not talking about platforms im talking about those who choose to clip vs those who don't. My solution is not to pick sides but to simply offer them the same incentives and downfalls. But because I keep getting moderated im forced to tread carefully.

I agree with the idea that ending PS3 support needs to be planned sooner rather than later.
It's definitely not stalled, but it will be a year-ish from now, if a new version PS4/PC is not announced.
They need to capitalize on the hype, while they have a high player population. This will help to give players the feeling of needing to keep current (/playing) and in touch with the DCUO world. Even if they don't give a date, they needed to let the player base know that PS3 will not hold the game back indefinitely. Otherwise, when people leave to play other stuff (and they will) they will forget DCUO - seeing it as an older game...rather than maintaining an emotional connection to the future of the product and the toons they have created.

Understood. My apologies.

Perhaps we should start our own hashtag. #DropThePS3

??? I didnt write what you replied to....wtf

Not much else i can say than i agree with you OP.

I honestly hope they are working on a DCUO2 optimized for the PS4 and PC, I'd like to see the power bar change to some form like they have in FFXVI Where you have not only an L2/R2+face buttons, but L2/R2+ Directional Buttons, It be nice to have more than 6 powers at a time to have to cycle through.

It also be nice to have built in special combos where it mixes powers and weapons. It give it a nice change pace to just "Throw a power, combo, throw another power" gameplay.

I'd like to see bigger other cities, and day/night cycles. A full star city and a full Central City would be nice. More mentors, movements, maybe even mounts. Customizable sidekicks, Maybe actually different house or customizable house layouts. Maybe even suburban areas,(not in city, just kind of like the outskirts)

I'd like to see a Metropolis that makes sense, Where the ocean isn't dammed off. Something that if a city planner proposed would be laughed at eternally.

one of the greatest things I like about DCUO is that everything is very easy to relate to. Everything is modern, and there is no weird pronunciations to learn.

Your thread is a lot nicer than mine is. You basically pointed out everything that I was trying to discuss in my post. The PS3 console is holding this game back. No matter how you look at it, because I know how elitist you PS3 players are, the Developers are not going to take the PS3 console out of the equation anytime soon. Until the Developers are left with no other choice but to stop supporting the PS3 console, all the content in the DLC are going to be reworked content that is already in the game. The Developers are going to claim it is new content but it is not.

We need to cool the jets on the "get rid of the PS3" talk for now. Unless I am very mistaken the vast majority of their revenue and population comes from the PS3, and with a very large number of people playing on the PS3 without PS4's they would lose a crippling amount of income if they dropped PS3 anytime soon. It will take at least a year, and more realistically two or three, before most people will have a PS4 and the PS3's use begins to plummet. Until the PS4 can support the same amounts of people and revenue as the PS3, killing the PS3 just isn't going to happen. You don't pull out the rug from under the majority of your paying customers.

I would really love the see the numbers now, vis a vis the PS4 and PS3 population/revenue. The PS4's price tag means the ones who have switched have a certain amount of affluence compared to the laggards. Hopefully it will reach a tipping point sooner rather than later.

Most likely much more on the PS3, considering the shortage of PS4 in Europe until March / April I doubt PS4's revenue is anywhere close to the PS3 users'.

Seems you have forgotten to include the third option.

Progressing
Stalled
Devolving