bill-roper posts

The Daily Grind: What do you think of Cryptic?

by Eliot Lefebvre Mar 18th 2010 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Super-hero, Opinion, Star Trek Online, The Daily Grind, Champions Online

There are few companies these days that generate emotions as strong as those generated by Cryptic Studios. They weren't particularly controversial when they produced City of Heroes, but their subsequent efforts in both Champions Online and Star Trek Online have produced a great deal of contention. Between the launch day issues of Champions Online, the controversy of Cryptic's microtransaction stores, and concerns regarding the amount of content in the game... well, they're contentious. Of course, they also have their fans, have produced two games within a remarkably short timeframe, and are clearly dedicated to both communication and player-targeted development.

Considering that today is the first big content release for Star Trek Online and the recent information regarding Bill Roper's departure from Champions Online (although he's remaining with Cryptic), it seems an appropriate time to ask about opinions. So, what are your thoughts on the company? Do you like the work that they're doing, or do you think they're on the wrong track? Are you currently playing one or both of their games, are you a former player, or have you refused to play them for whatever reason?

Tags: bill-roper, champions-online, co, cryptic, cryptic-champions-online, cryptic-co, cryptic-star-trek, cryptic-studios, opinions, st-online, star-trek-mmo, star-trek-online, sto, tdg, the-daily-grind, trek-online

Bill Roper no longer executive producer of Champions Online, game improvements promised

by Eliot Lefebvre Mar 16th 2010 at 10:30PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Patches, News items, Champions Online

Most of the news coming out of Cryptic Studios of late has centered around Star Trek Online, which has garnered quite a following and looks to expand with the upcoming Season 1 patch. But Champions Online hasn't gone anywhere, and the game is gearing up for its mini-expansion and for the future. A state of the game letter has just been released, announcing both what's coming for the game as well as some management shakeups. The latter comes last in the letter but is worth noting early -- Shannon Posniewski, known as Poz on the forums, will be assuming the Executive Producer role for the game, taking over from Bill Roper.

In terms of actual in-game changes, the letter reiterates many things we heard at the GDC: the team knows there are level bands that are a bit thinner in terms of content than the players (or the developers) would like. While they're not prepared to reveal details, they are looking to expand those areas with more content and more to do. There's also the promise of new Adventure Packs, which sound similar in concept to the packs of Dungeons and Dragons Online. The full letter also mentioned updates to powersets and melee damage that should be welcome news for all Champions Online players, a clear sign the game is moving forward and not forgotten.

Tags: adventure-packs, bill-roper, breaking, champions-online, change-in-management, co, cryptic, cryptic-champions-online, cryptic-co, cryptic-studios, ddo, dungeons-and-dragons-online, management, revelation, shannon-posniewski, state-of-the-game

GDC10: The future of Champions Online

by Kyle Horner Mar 12th 2010 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, Bugs, News items, Champions Online

We had the opportunity to sit down with Bill Roper at GDC 2010 and discuss the general future of Champions Online. There are two themes to Bill's answers during our talk: just about everything is free and listening to community feedback.

First of all, melee powers like Might are getting reworked based directly from player feedback. The goal is to make players feel as though they're on par with ranged powersets in PvP situations. Generally, people have been saying they felt "gimped" and the goal is to fix that. There's a complete reworking of the supernatural set coming as well, which will separate the previously single powerset into two new ones.

Tags: adventure, adventure-pack, bill-roper, breaking, champions-online, co, cryptic, cryptic-champions-online, cryptic-co, cryptic-studios, gdc, gdc-2010, gdc10, revelation

GDC10: A chat with Cryptic's Bill Roper and Craig Zinkievich

by Justin Olivetti Mar 11th 2010 at 5:30PM

Filed under: Events, real-world, Star Trek Online, Champions Online

As two of the most public figures at Cryptic Studios, Bill Roper (Champions Online) and Craig Zinkievich (Star Trek Online) are typically at the forefront of controversy, adulation and speculation. At GDC 2010, Massively sat down with the pair to discuss what it's like working for Cryptic, how they deal with the ups and downs of being game developers, and the pressure of handling the future of two hot MMORPG franchises.

Massively: How do the Champions and STO teams collaborate between each other?

Bill Roper: I think it's really good the way the company interacts back and forth -- "Hey, this worked for us, you guys should do that too." "This totally didn't work for us, don't do that, do something different."

Craig Zinkievich: "Hey, you know, about three-and-a-half weeks after launch, don't have a free 90-day promo! Don't do that! That didn't work well!" [Laughs]

Tags: bill-roper, champions-online, community, craig-Zinkievich, cryptic-studios, featured, GDC, gdc-2010, gdc10, gdc2010, money-pants, patch, patches, star-trek-online

Massively interviews Bill Roper on Champions Online's Revelation update

by Kyle Horner Feb 24th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Patches, Massively Interviews, Champions Online

Recently we had the chance to speak with Champions Online's executive producer Bill Roper about the forthcoming Revelation update. More specifically, we asked him about the new zone Vibora Bay, its quest structure and Cryptic's plans moving beyond the Revelation update, as well. Of course, we couldn't discuss this first major content update without asking about the decision to make it free... but you'll just have to check out our interview after the break for that part.

Tags: bill-roper, champions-online, co, cryptic, cryptic-champions-online, cryptic-co, cryptic-studios, featured, interview, massively-interviews, revelation

Resolutions from all across the industry

by Eliot Lefebvre Jan 16th 2010 at 4:00PM

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, Opinion

2009 isn't so far over the horizon that we can't still be looking back and finalizing our resolutions for the new year. In some ways, it's even better to wait this long to make a few resolutions (as the most common one made after New Year's Eve celebrations involves never drinking that much again in one night). Ten Ton Hammer had an interesting take on the practice, though -- they asked a number of developers what their resolutions are for the next 365 days. (Well, okay, slightly less now.)

The resolutions range from the personal to the public, the serious to the silly. Champions Online's Bill Roper resolves to play more games, David Allen of Alganon resolves to fix bugs and improve visibility, Fallen Earth's intern Sombat Southivorarat resolves to not accidentally delete the game's Facebook fan page again. It's not going to give huge insights into the upcoming patches for several games, but it's good to remember that there are people behind our favorite games, and interesting to see what their personal goals are -- both in and out of the game. If you're so inclined, take a look, although you might want to look away before you reach CCP Nathan's resolution. Just a friendly tip.

Tags: alganon, bill-roper, ccp-nathan, champions-online, co, david-allen, developer-resolutions, fallen-earth, fe, new-year-2010, resolutions, ten-ton-hammer

Bill Roper hints at secret identity mechanic for Champions Online

by Rubi Bayer Jan 13th 2010 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Interviews, Champions Online

Italian fansite mmorpgitalia.com spent some time recently with Bill Roper, talking about where Champions Online stands four months after release, and where they are going from here.

Roper answered some popular questions regarding issues such as the social aspect of Champions Online, the game's level of completion (or lack thereof) at launch and how Cryptic has progressed from there.

The interview also covered questions about Cryptic's upcoming plans for CO, such as the upcoming secret identity mechanic. It's an exciting idea for players, but one that Roper's not quite ready to divulge in detail about yet: "We're in the early design stages of this feature, so I'm not ready to talk about it. One of the things I have learned about communicating ideas is that once it's in an interview, it becomes gospel no matter how much you qualify it as being "mere ideas" or "discussions.""

The full interview covers these points in more detail and several others as well, and is a good read for anyone interested in Champions Online.

Tags: bill-roper, champions-online, cryptic, cryptic-studios, interview, mmorpgitalia, secret-identity

Bill Roper on Champions' free weekends, nemesis and content updates

by Kyle Horner Dec 8th 2009 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Massively Interviews, Champions Online

With two content updates behind the game and 2010 looming just over the horizon, we spoke briefly with Bill Roper on a multitude of Champions Online topics. Specifically, you'll find discussion on Cryptic's free weekends, Nemesis Confrontation and even a hint at future updates in the coming weeks and months.

So follow along after the jump for our talk with the executive producer, and be sure to keep up-to-date with the latest news on the game through our Champions Online page.

Tags: atari, bill-roper, blood-moon, champions, champions-online, cryptic, cryptic-studios, featured, free-weekend, interview, nemesis-confrontation

Bill Roper talks powers in Champions Online

by Eliot Lefebvre Nov 24th 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Interviews, Opinion, Champions Online

Two of the biggest aspects of Champions Online are easy to point out: the character creator and the wide selection of powers. Certainly it's not the first game to use a classless system by a long shot, but the visual and immediate nature of power selection and the cosmetic effects of those choice are a big part of the game's distinctiveness. So it's hard not to be interested when Bill Roper sits down and talks with MMOCrunch about which powers he thinks worked excellently out of the gate and which onces were a bit less impressive.

Bill gushes quite enthusiastically about powers such as Force Cascade, Killer Instinct, and Thermal Reverberation -- powers that encourage alternate playstyles or different combinations of abilities. He's also enthusiastic about Uppercut and Haymaker, which he feels have an excellent payoff if they're used successfully and force the player to think more carefully. On the flipside, passive offensive powers don't have nearly enough effect, Chain Lightning tries to encourage alternate approaches but fails to do so, and summoning doesn't mesh nicely with the game's core play aspects. Roper also talks about what's being planned for the underwhelming powers to help bring them more in line, as well as discussing data mining and the infamous launch day nerfs. Take a look at the full interview for more details.

Tags: bill-roper, champions-online, co, cryptic, cryptic-studios, game-mechanics, interviews, opinion

Bill Roper on Champions Online's launch, current state and future

by Kyle Horner Nov 20th 2009 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Interviews, New titles, News items, Champions Online

In a recent interview with Boomtown, Bill Roper spoke his mind on everything from Hellgate: London hate to Champions Online's launch and future. In fact, the man spoke quite candidly on all topics, particularly that of Cryptic's missteps with their second superhero MMO as well as their successes.

Of particular note, there's a mention of how Champions Online will handle DC Universe Online's 2010 launch given that the superhero MMO market hasn't really expanded of late. Curiously, Roper says he feels that the Xbox 360 version will help to vastly expand Champions' user base. There's a chance Cryptic could be pushing to get into the console market by or before SOE releases their superhero MMO. Although given the headaches Cryptic has expressed at getting an MMO on Microsoft's console, we get the feeling much of the developer's focus is presently on Star Trek Online and continued live game support.

Tags: atari, bill-roper, champions-online, cryptic, cryptic-studios, dc-universe-online, dcuo, soe, sony, sony-online-entertainment, star-trek-online, sto

Bill Roper talks about Champions Online successes and failures

by Eliot Lefebvre Nov 17th 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, Interviews, Champions Online

Champions Online is still wet behind the ears, but we're moving through the game's third month of operation, time enough to take a slightly calmer look at how things went at launch and how the game has been shaping up. Jeux Online recently interviewed executive producer Bill Roper regarding the game's launch and its future, which might not contain as much information on the latter as the fans would like but still contains some interesting bits and pieces.

Looking forward, the most interesting bits are the promise of an upcoming Lair in which each player's Nemesis makes an appearance, in a union of several high-level threats to face off against a team of heroes. (Shades of the Masters of Evil or the Legion of Doom.) He also discusses a bit about the upcoming winter event, which he states will not include a new powerset but will include a number of "presents", as well as a fight against a truly massive opponent. There's also discussion regarding mission instancing a la City of Heroes, PvP maps, and the ongoing task of balancing Champions Online. How the game will mature in practice is yet to be seen, but we're getting a clearer and clearer idea about the game's direction at the very least.

Tags: balance, bill-roper, champions-online, co, cryptic, cryptic-studios, game-balance, game-mechanics, in-game-events, interviews, nemesis, pvp

Champions Online's Bill Roper talks about the future of CO

by Rubi Bayer Nov 5th 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Interviews, News items, Champions Online

Bill Roper is the Executive Producer and Design Director for Champions Online, and he sat down with Techulous this week for a talk about how things are going for the game so far and what he sees in its future.

He talked about about the players, their feedback, and what's been happening in Champions Online so far, then Techulous got down to the big question: what's next?

Champions Online has big plans for the next few months, including some new content for all levels of players. He mentioned the two brand new mission chains for levels 18-21, and promised different development paths for new heroes as well as more endgame content for higher level players in the future.

Roper wrapped up the interview with some interesting information on what to watch for in the future: "We have a lot of things in the pipeline, including a new Nemesis-centric lair in November, a Winter Event in December, and something really big in the first part of 2010."

It sounds like Cryptic isn't finished adding to Champions Online by a long shot - you can read the full interview here.

Tags: bill-roper, champions-online, cryptic, cryptic-studios, interview, interviews

Get Champions Online for $30 on Amazon, today only

by Kyle Horner Sep 23rd 2009 at 2:30PM

Filed under: Super-hero, News items, Champions Online

Amazon's "Deal of the Day" today just happens to be Champions Online, so if you were waiting for a price drop (or a deal this good) then get on over there and grab it while the deal lasts. If you're not sure what the game is all about, wWe've got our WoW players guide to Champions Online, as well as our recent interview on current and upcoming updates to the game with its design director Bill Roper.

We'd say something more, but there's a 40% off sale for a freshly released MMO and... well, why are you still reading this?

Tags: amazon, atari, bill-roper, breaking, champions-online, cryptic, cryptic-studios, sale, world-of-warcraft, wow

Champions Online's Bill Roper talks retcons, powers and more

by Kyle Horner Sep 21st 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, Massively Interviews, Champions Online

We've been having a lot of fun with Champions Online here at Massively, but with the launch of any MMO there are always questions of how current issues will be handled and what's coming in the near future. So, we spoke with the game's Design Director Bill Roper on several subjects ranging from powers balancing to the upcoming free content update Blood Moon and the reinforcement system.

Tags: bill-roper, blood-moon, champions-online, combat, cryptic, cryptic-studios, difficulty, featured, patch, patches, retcon