LoreHound Crier: The Week at a Glance

Posted on Apr 20, 2012

It’s been another great week here at LoreHound. More PAX interviews have appeared, we’ve had a few exclusives, and there’s even been some game industry mudslinging. I was terribly excited to see news about Torchlight 2, and I’m sure there’s even more excitement about Diablo 3. I won’t be playing either game as I’ve got

Champions Online Game Systems Overhaul Begins

Posted on Apr 17, 2012

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Champions Online. The second attempt at a superhero MMORPG by Cryptic Studios drew me in with numerous features, advanced customization to the point of full uniqueness, a fast-paced combat style and quirky comic-inspired quests and missions. I considered it a popcorn MMORPG, a guilty pleasure that would be a

Know Thy Blogger: iTZKooPA’s MMOG Timeline

Posted on Jun 14, 2011

Ladies and germs, you’ve likely been following the writers of LoreHound.com for quite some time (If not, welcome aboard!).  We’ve introduced ourselves, talked about our time in World of Warcraft, discussed our past and even revealed the origins behind our now-familiar names.  But what we haven’t done is reveal how we got here. How is it

Atari Bails on Cryptic; Perfect World Entertainment Happily Obliges

Posted on May 31, 2011

Fans of Cryptic Studios’ stable of games can rest easy. After being in the hotseat for two weeks thanks to Atari labeling the studio as “discontinued”, the developer of Star Trek Online, newly free-to-play Champions Online and the upcoming Neverwinter RPG has found a new financial home in the hands of Perfect World Company, a rising

Another One Bites The Dust: Lineage Closing in North America (and Cryptic Studios ‘Discontinued’)

Posted on May 18, 2011

It’s unfortunate that Another One Bites The Dust exists, but necessary. This column chronicles the fateful announcements ahead of an MMOGs’ downfall, a company closure or, in some truly sad cases, both. Grab your Big Gulp and let some hit the floor for the fallen. NCSoft, perhaps best known in the West for being the

Do You Care About Endgame Character Customization?

Posted on May 06, 2011

Each developer has its own definition of character customization. Cryptic Studios is probably the, ahem, champion of character customization. The company’s games have allowed players to make everything from popular comic book clones (begetting a lawsuit) to beasts of burden to their own alien species. Blizzard has been the polar opposite, maintaining the idea that

The Price of F2P: Champions Online: Free for All

Posted on Feb 01, 2011

The “The Price of F2P” column attempts to discover the cost, if any, of free-to-play (F2P) titles.  Most F2P titles are just that, free-to-play, but offer objects for players to purchase.  Often these items are purely cosmetic, such as extra costumes, character customization options or non-stat armor modifications.  However, there are items that are more

Champions Online: Free for All Character Generator Recap

Posted on Jan 28, 2011

One of the main features of the original Champions Online was the ability for a player to make any type of character. Not just visually, but the toon’s playstyle and role could be nit-picked to the last detail. Want to shoot beams out of your chest while dual wielding pistols? You could do that. Fancy

Champions Online: Well, This Sucks

Posted on Jan 27, 2011

I downloaded, installed and patched Champions Online: Free for All when it re-launched the other day, like thousands of others. Fearing the inevitable crush of the servers, I decided to sit back and enjoy War and Peace the patch notes. The reading was to hype myself up for how much the game has grown since

Champions Online Now Far More Tolerable

Posted on Jan 25, 2011

It’s no secret that I didn’t have a good experience with Champions Online. So poor was my time with the game that I abandoned it well before my 6-month timeshare was up and shrugged away from Star Trek Online. The title didn’t…resonate with me, to put it politely. A couple of months ago, Cryptic Studios