Meta’s Verse: The CoH Community Stands Strong

By Meticulous Meta, OnRPG Paragon Reporter

 

 

 

If you were to go to the City of Heroes forums right now you’d see goodbyes from the developers, goodbyes from players, messages from the #SaveCoH Save City of Heroes campaign and stories. Some of these stories are amusing moments from the game. That’s pretty standard when a game is closing. What stands out though are the stories of the community. The outpouring of support and love when a dev leaves the team, or a member of the community dies. Or reminiscing about the time the developers and gamers got together in secret to help a man propose to his wife in game for a real life wedding. A baby pool when a community member becomes pregnant and helping people come to terms with who they are. City of Heroes has been open for 8 years and in that time the community has become a family.

 

 

Births

MiniTurg or Turglet as some call him is an adorable baby that has become somewhat of a mascot in the City of Heroes community. His very proud father has posted pictures and updates on this little future hero’s life. Even people who don’t know Turg enjoy seeing new pictures of the littlest hero in Paragon.

 

 

As you read this The MPs are running a baby pool. Madame Pistacio is due to deliver on October 18th. Players from all over the City of Heroes community have offered up their guesses.

 

 

Coming To Terms

Community members have come to terms with who they are in City of Heroes for as long as City of Heroes has been around. One of the oldest stories is of a player who, with the help of friends he made in City of Heroes, came to terms with the fact that he was gay and worked up the nerve to ask his crush out. This is a story repeated so many times over I couldn’t find it in my heart to just pick one. Whether gay, transgender, disabled or just uncomfortable with who you are, City of Heroes has been a place where you could come to terms with it, embrace it and be embraced by a collection of people who love you for you.

 

 

Weddings

Speaking of love, it has been joked many times that Paragon Studios should open a dating service. Why? City of Heroes has brought together couples from all across the world. Some are dating but there have been many City of Heroes weddings.

 

 

One such story is by Mr. Hellcat who took a chance in calling a stranger he had played with that was a friend of a friend. They hit it off so well he moved across the country to be with her and after two years they married.

 

 

Proposals

City of Heroes and Paragon Studios don’t stop at setting people up though! Oh no, they offer the full package which includes awesome community wide support for proposals. One such proposal which I was lucky enough to be at was that of Strongwall and Gaia Stormsoul. With the help of several members of the development team, including Melissa “War Witch” Bianco an event was planned in City of Heroes to help set up a real proposal. With the help of members of the community the proposal went fantastically and most importantly Gaia said yes! Not only did she say yes but together their love defeated a God.

 

 

Mourning Together

When a member of the City of Heroes community dies it is an incredibly emotional time for the whole community. Last year Madame Pistacio, (yes the same woman from the baby pool.) flew to be at the side of a friend she had made in City of Heroes during his last days battling Hogkins Lymphoma. While there she passed on heart-warming messages of love and support from the community. Even people who had never met DC had messages for him.

 

 

Anytime a player is lost the whole community gets behind their family offering support and messages of love as they go through a difficult time. On the server they called hope vigils are held in their memory. Stories are told of the best times people had with those who pass. And though it eventually ends they are never forgotten.

 

More Than A Job

Working for Paragon Studios is more than just a job. In an industry where changing jobs every two years is perfectly normal, having Melissa Bianco and Matt Miller working on the same project for a decade is amazing. In that time Paragon Studios has hired several players from across the community to do a variety of roles. Giving them opportunities to get into the gaming industry which for those with no previous experience can be quite difficult.

 

 

The development team has included players in so much of what they do. And in return the players have included the development team in what they do. Together they form a community unlike any other. A community which now works to save City of Heroes and Paragon Studios. A community which is struggling to stay together no matter what comes their way. They are heroes and this is what they do.