Massively^™

I admit it, I have been a wayward hero. I started playing City of Heroes back in 2005, before sewer missions, before villains, heck, even before bases. The game back then was fun, but only for about an hour, and then I would get bored and log into EQ2 or WoW. I spent more time on the character creation screen than I did playing the game. I filled my character slots with crazy heroes, deleted them, and filled the slots up again. In essence, I was using the game as a glorified dressing room, which is probably why I got bored so easily.

Recently I reactivated my account at the urging of a friend, and suddenly I have fallen in love with this game. I am getting a role player's pleasure out of saving the people on the streets, and conversely tormenting them with my villains. From the moment you load into the game for the first time, you have access to cool abilities, albeit basic ones. Now, I am not really talking about veteran rewards here, since I only have a few months' worth of those since I was deactivated for so long. I'm talking about instantly feeling like a hero or villain. This game immerses you into the world instantly, and you get to be kick ass for as long as you like.

What used to annoy me about this game (the lack of trade skills) has now been fixed with the implementation of the invention system. Suddenly I am running around bashing on Circle of Thorns mages by the dozens, collecting their detritus and making enhancements with it. I am having loads of fun, almost as much as I had spending hours in a basement in EQ2. I guess what I'm saying is that even though I have to relearn the game, I am glad I am doing it. My characters might be low, but my level of enjoyment isn't. I'm glad to be back in Paragon City, and suspect it was where I was meant to be all along.