Questions by Onrpg
Answered by Matt Miller (Positron), Cryptic Lead Designer
Tuesday, October 31st marks the one year anniversary of City of Villains. Launched on Halloween of 2005, City of Villains finally answered one of the players’ top requests – to be the bad guy. To commemorate this first annual milestone, we conducted our own Q&A with Cryptic Lead Designer Matt Miller (Positron).
Onrpg: What are some of the most valuable things that you have learned over the first year of City of Villains?
Miller: I learned to listen more to the users. We have lot of very passionate players in the game, and their insight and feedback can be really valuable as the design progresses. There are a lot of good ideas out there that help us prioritize our feature lists and at times will lead us in new directions that we might not have thoroughly considered. There are a lot of different desires the players have for the game, and it’s great to be able to deliver for them.
Onrpg: When comparing to City of Villains with City of Heroes, what are some of the aspects of each game that you prefer over the other and why?
Miller: This is like asking me to pick which one of my children is my favorite, isn’t it? City of Heroes has the unmatched aspect of playing a Hero. Doing good and right, and saving the day. It’s something that just can’t be offered on the Villain side. But City of Villains has a more “proactive” feeling to it. You have a sense that you are going out and causing trouble, instead of reacting to it like heroes do.
Onrpg: How do you plan to further integrate City of Heroes with City of Villains (co-op play, social areas like Pocket D, etc.)?
Miller: We have plans for a co-operative zone where both sides band together under a common flag to combat a mutual threat. While Villains and Heroes obviously do not get along with each other, there are times when the enemy of my enemy becomes a friend, no matter who they are.
Onrpg: Can you provide any insight into your long-term plans for PvP in the “City of” franchise?
Miller: We want to shake up PvP and address some of the rough edges with the system. One such issue is the disparity in effectiveness of certain Archetypes in a PvP setting. We are addressing this in part through the Invention system, and feel it will go a long way in shoring up overall balance and offering new ways to play certain Archetypes.
Onrpg: Now that it has been a year, what is your favorite villain archetype and why?
Miller: Dominator. I love the fact that it couples Control abilities with some good damage output, and Domination is damn cool.
Onrpg: Will there be epic archetypes on the villain side in the future?
Miller: You bet. We are working out how to include Nictus (evil Kheldians), and are discussing one more. Stay tuned!
Onrpg: When can the players expect Cathedral of Pain to come back?
Miller: Unfortunately the Cathedral of Pain brought to light a certain exploit that can not be fixed quickly, and involves a rework of some of the systems involved. If I were to use my crystal ball I would say Issue 9, but there is always the possibility of it getting in before then.
Onrpg: Is there anything else that you want to say to the “City of” community?
Miller: Thanks for a crazy year, Villains and Heroes. I hope the next year offers just as much fun for everyone as the past ones have!
