Hope I'm not too late but I guess I'll give it go anyways. I never been the type of open up my life on the internet.
I started playing COX a soldier in the army, moving here moving there, but was never a gamer prior, or didnt consider myself one, especially one where there interaction with other people. What caught my eye was the super hero concept described on the box of City of Heroes and the customization described on the box. So I bought it and gave it a try. It was a very good purchase. I now had something to do in my spare time, could talk to people if I chose to and not talk to anyone if I chose not to.
So me being me, finding a good thing I shared what I found with my friends. Come to find out, one already had it but it was collecting dust in her closet, one created an account and been playing since i3, another joined in soon after i told him about the game, another joined when COV was released, and even got a sibling to join around i10. We were a group that did all type of tasks and crazy stuff. Soon we was joined by people we met in game and then decided to official start our own super group on hero side that was focused on just having fun and getting together to PvP here and there even sometimes among ourselves just to test our character. I beat everyone except the defender of the group kept kicking my butt and my female friend, who played until the end, was a foe to reckon with on her blaster, brute, scrapper and corruptor. Those were the good times.
Eventually I got restationed, again, but this game allowed me to keep in contact with them, even though my female friend eventually got stationed inthe same location and soon got out the army but we still played together. The times we had in game crossed over into real life when we talked about the stuff we did and or used to do inside the game, even as her husband gave us both quizzical looks for being into a game so much. We both used to poke fun at him with the line of "Why so serious?"
Eventually I got out the army too, many friends and SG members moved on to other games but me an Elainia was the last two left and still rolled. Some days I wouldnt even be logged in when she called me and told me to get on because she wanted to do a Positron run and only have one other person that is just filling in so we can duo it. I remember saying many times "God dang it, E., you're a blaster not a tank! Let me get the aggro! Here's an awake." It wasa very good stress reliever for us. She had something to do when her husband was out of town for meetings and what ever he do, and I had an activity that cost relative pennies while getting more enjoyment out of it then if I went out on the town and blew 500 or so dollars.
I remember the times when we used to both get wasted and joined teams and murdered those LGTFs and ITFs.
I remember being worried about transitioning form the Army to the civilian world and this game taking my mind off it.
I remember faceplanting form stuff that I should of owned and E. laughing at me.
I remember getting one shotted by stalkers in Siren's Call and E. turning around and blasting them to the next century with her blaster.
I remember falling asleep at the keyboard until E. called me by phone yelling at me to get the lead out and help with the AV.
I remember going to work the next day after playing an back to buisness, especially with E. She is a bulldog when it comes to work.
I remember building a toon and E. going "WTF are you wearing?" and me going, "Battle me i nthe arena. If you win, you can choose my costume. If I win, I choose yuour costume." I lost and ended up in a pink bunny outfit.
I remember doing my last ITF and three people quitting and the last four of us murdering it easily anyways.
I remember getting kicked from a team because I was moving too slow. Probably another night I was wasted.
I rememebr leaving teams because of the team leader belittling another team member for making mistakes and taking that guy under my wing, letting him know that most players are not like the person he just experienced and giving him tips on how to be better. He ended up a better player than me IMO.
I remember telling E. I quit. I remember seeing E. snap on people o nthe foru mand shaking my head. Like "What are you doing, E.L.?! You're coming off like a madwoman and not in a good way. Calm down take a break, come back tomorrow, for your sake." I remember her not listening to me. She never knew when to just backdown.
I remember laughing about it the next day.
I remember the emotions and reactions of most people whe nthe announcement of shutdown was made. I remember feeling them even though I already moved on and thinking, "Damn, that is f-ed up." and E. saying to me, "Oh well." and me giving her that look that apparently caused her to change the subject. But she never did get people and the way human emotions worked very well. I swear I think that chick is a robot or something.
I remember to this day even after leaving, I would not redo a single day I spent in that game, the good days nor the the bad days. I can go on and on about the time I had in this game.
I cant say that this game was therapy or saved me or anything dramtic like that because I grew up normal, had normal life, normal friends, well besides E., she is a little...peciluar at times, not exactly the warmest person to be around but not as cold as her posts that I saw suggested. But of course I have the ability to understand just about anyone even if I dont feel the same way. Had a normal adult life as a normal adult jus climbing up the ladder and making money, no serious depression, none of that stuff, but felt sad for this game ending for them that had problems in life and this was a way out and for the devs and their job loss more so than me personally feeling losing a game, I was already gone anyways by the time of closing. Thus in the closing days besides it being a mad house and a emotions running high there I stayed away after the announcement from in game and forum. Even here I avoided the emotional posts because i dont think for the most part I had anything thta could help to add. I had no experience with most of those problems but I understand.
Even with the game gone, only person I'm still close with as I was in game is Elainia but our views are like night and day. I dont think she is being malicious about it, I just think she dont have that ability to understand emotions like that or that is not her way of thinking. But we still talk about the good times of the actual game and the community. It turn out to be some interesting conversations but I guess that is why I probably would never be a CEO or buisness owner as I cant rip people off and sleep at night to line my pockets. E. on the other hand would make the perfect CEO as when it comes to those type of decisions, she can view it without any hint of human emotions and wont give a crap about ending a product if it means more money or greater good of the company or because she felt like it and can do that. I would have gotten fired first for allowing COX to go on until no one was playing regardless of much money was being brought in as long as the player base is enjoying the product. Probably not good from a buisness stand point. The good times, the bad, the ugly, I want COX to live on. Not for me, but for the people that it was much more than a game to them. True heroes stand up for what is right and what they believe in regardless if they are to gain something personally from it or not, even if they stand to lose.
